


The Point of You (Never Knew I Needed)

by kkujjae



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Divorced Fleur Delacour & Bill Weasley, Divorced Hermione Granger & Ron Weasley, Enemies to Lovers, Eventual Romance, Everyone's a mystery tbh, F/F, Fleur is a mystery, Love/Hate, Mystery, POV Hermione Granger, POV Rose Weasley, Post-Canon, Slow Build, [E] at 33 ://, a lot of hidden tags because I don't want to spoil!, fluff in later chapters, i'm upping the angst tag because of a few im-hitting-yall-with-the-feels chapters, lots of parent-child interactions, plot heavy af, plot twists are my passion, you're in for a ride after the first few chaps
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:40:55
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 36
Words: 137,195
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28263303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkujjae/pseuds/kkujjae
Summary: After resigning from the Minister position and a divorce from her long-time husband, all Hermione wants is a fresh chance at being happy. But with a blood-boiling neighbor, a troubled daughter, and an uncrackable case dropped on her hands, the Golden Girl realizes she can never seem to escape trouble. She'll discover that's the least of her problems though, not when a certain Veela's inevitably involved.Or Hermione tries making sense of her life, and things go 180 degrees, all in the context of prophecies, mysteries, and terrible writing.
Relationships: Fleur Delacour/Hermione Granger, Rose Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Scorpius Malfoy/Albus Severus Potter
Comments: 448
Kudos: 603





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, this is my first fanfic ever, and I'm glad you opened this up on the list. I honestly didn't mean to write this, but I couldn't get the convoluted plot out of my head for the past week. I have so many plans for this fic and sort of have it laid down in an outline. But I can't promise that it'll be completely plot hole free considering it's the first time I'm doing this. (I've also never read the books merp so I'm relying on what I remotely remember from the movies, wiki pages, Google, and the fics I've read with the Fleurmione tag).
> 
> I can't promise frequent updates since I'm mostly studying for college and for the medical school entrance exam at the moment, but I promise to do my very best. Feel free to leave a kudos or comment. These would be very much appreciated (and hopefully motivate me). Cheers! <3
> 
> All mistakes are my own as well since I don't have any betas. 
> 
> I don't own Harry Potter or any of its characters.

_My darlings_

_My heart's desire is only for you_

_The moment has come for you to know_

_So sing to me the songs of Dawn one more time_

_Before being set apart with endless space between us_

_No matter what, this is the one unchangeable truth_

_We are only ever destined to be together_

_Within the blissful life my dreams can conjure_

_Let me hear your melodic laughter, my treasured ones,_

_Ensure to put together the faded golden pieces of my heart,_

_Then offer them wholly away,_

_And hide the silver tears of yesterday_

_Keep them safe away from prying eyes_

_O dear gods, for my loves_

_Hum to them a soothing lullaby_

_Breathe into them a new bronze light_

_Let my innocent loves forget me_

_So long as you never 'till the end of time_

_Leave them as lonely birds of the night_

_I pray, O gods, let the rest of the world be left alone_

_This is my one sole and pleading wish:_

_For our serene peace to last evermore_

_In a new world_


	2. Unopened Box

"Wake up, sleepyhead. We're going to be late," she urged, abruptly opening the curtains to let sunlight into the messy room. The younger boy groaned and covered his eyes, displeasedly muttering about having a headache. "Bloody hell! It's literally 7:30. Have you gone mad, Rose? We still literally have 3 hours before the train leaves! Dad's probably not even up yet."

Packs of half-finished sugar quills and acid pops crowded the floor, and to the girl's surprise, the sole chocolate frog box was left unopened. Amidst them, the girl found used tissue peeking from between wrappers, soaked with what was most likely shed tears from the night before. She smiles bitterly and allows herself to take a deep breath.

_One is true silver, two are golden, and three are bronze._

She walked to the younger boy's bed and gently sat down at its edge, eventually patting the boy's back. Slowly, she removed his hands from his face, and his red and puffy eyes ashamedly meet hers.

"I know a spell that can fix your dumb face," she whispered jokingly, ruffling his bushy brown hair then standing up. Muttering a spell under her breath, Rose waved her hand, and the boy's face returned to its normal state — bloodshot eyes gone. "If those bullies come and tease you like before, remember the drill." She tapped the locket under her shirt, and the boy smiled, tapping the locket around his own neck and lazily giving a mocking salute. The redhead stood up, picked the littered sweets off the floor at a quickened pace, and stopped to hold up the leftover chocolate frog box.

"Blimey sis, I just realized you did wandless again! What would Mum say when you're after her title of being the brightest in the family?"

Laughing, she waved her hand, and all the clutter disappeared. "Well, for starters, I need to get better than Lia because she's been getting my top spot in almost all our classes, especially Divination." Then with a devilish smile, Rose threw the box for the boy to catch clumsily. "Also, you can tell Mum yourself. Come on, Mum and Dad are waiting downstairs. Best to hurry up."

She exits the room with a grin, leaving the boy with shocked eyes and clambering to fix his things.

"Mum's here?! You could've told me that earlier!"

* * *

The family arrived at a very busy King's Cross. Teens and adults were pushing carts with stacks of bags and owl cages. Part of the throng were scattered incoming first years, giddy and excited as they briskly walked and pulled their parents along in the direction of platform 9 3/4. Much of the crowd was calm, and a melding chatter could be heard from all around — typical of magical families bidding goodbye to their children.

Ron, with his arm around Hugo, was animatedly talking about the Quidditch matches Rose would play in. "Come on, Neville said Rose was the best Chaser of her year. She literally smashed all the other teams in the tournament. Blimey will Malfoy be pissed."

Hermione rubbed her temple, and Rose looped her arm around her mother's. _So much for a peaceful walk._ "Well, Ronald," she started. The children could almost hear their father gulping as he tightened his hold on his son. "For the last time, we're not competing with Draco's family. Hell, the boy doesn't even play Quidditch." Rose shook her head, smiling slightly; she wasn't going to let her father get in her head again about competing with Scorpius. Besides, she had other priorities aside from fighting her father's battles. Meanwhile, Hugo was pushing his cart in rapt attention to what his father was saying. _It wasn't everyday that the family was all together anymore, after all,_ Rose thought.

As they passed through the magical pillar and entered the area of Platform 9 3/4, Ron's gaze fell on a group filled with redheads. Ron immediately waved towards the group and walked towards them, leaving his children to walk a few steps behind him.

"Oi! Long time no see, George, Bill!"

Hugo immediately craned his neck towards his sister. "You could've told me that Mum was coming over the moment you woke me up. I would've apparated faster than you could count to three." Before Rose could correct him about the restrictions on apparition, the pair was interrupted by Hermione tapping both of their shoulders. The two jolted in surprise.

"You know I could hear you two, right?"

Hugo winced, "Yeah, mum, sorry 'bout that."

Hermione smiled bitterly, looking far off beyond the redheaded group. Her brown eyes seemed lost in thought as her mouth drew a tight line. Standing in front of her children, she placed her hands on each child's cheeks.

"Look, I know I haven't visited lately. Really, I haven't been the best mother ever since —" She cut herself off as a mass of footsteps was evidently approaching. Looking back, she could see a throng of red heads mixed with children and Harry approaching the trio. She turned back, and Rose noted the conflict in her mother's eyes. "I'm going to make it up to you both. I promise. I love you both so much." Her face turned to her daughter. "I'm still waiting for a response to that letter, but there's no rush. Alright, darling?"

Before Rose could respond, Hermione hugged them both briefly, and whispered her goodbyes. Rose and Hugo froze, and after a moment, they hugged back and stuffed their faces into their mother's hug. Then, Hermione took a step back and swiftly walked towards the opposite direction the Weasleys were coming from. She held her hand up for Harry to see, and before the others could properly even see her, she left the platform. Hugo and Rose were left staring at the pillar that their mother passed through. It had literally been under an hour of their mother back months after she moved back to their grandparents' place. _Well that went better than I expected,_ Rose thought.

They were soon encircled by the Weasleys and Potters, with Albus and Lily flanking their sides, and Molly enveloping the siblings in a large hug. The motherly figure looked from face to face as if searching for something. Then she snapped her head, and calmly asked aloud to nobody in particular, "Goodness, I thought I saw Hermione here just now. Was that just me?"

Nobody responded. Ginny looked to Harry, Harry looked to Ron, and Ron looked to Rose, with Rose looking to nowhere in particular, pretending as if she didn't hear the question. Harry elbowed Ron in the stomach as he struggled to find the words — evident from his purpling face. After a moment of silence passed, Rose sighed. Before she could speak, Bill opened his mouth as he let his arm go around Molly's back.

"Well mum, it's to be expected, right? It's only been a few months since then, right? Give them some time."

Molly let out a breath. "Yes, you're right Bill. I just," she paused and collected her thoughts. Students were clamouring into the train now, as the conductor started calling for passengers to board. The train started hooting steam, and goodbyes could be heard from families all around. "With you and Fleur a year back, and now, Hermione and Ron... I just don't want this family to be in shambles." Shaking her head, she quickly turned face and clapped her hands.

"But that's not what we're here for, right darlings? We're here to bid you little ones goodbye." She turned to the little girl beside Harry. "And I'm going to miss you so much little Lily!"

The rest of the children rolled their eyes at their grandmother's obvious favoritism. The group then started bidding their goodbyes, and each of the children was hugged in turn by their parents. While Harry whispered words of encouragement to Lily, Ginny could be seen warning Albus about his antics with Scorpius. Bill, on the other hand, was smiling and laughing with Dominique and Louis. Rose looked all around at the pairs and groups then waited for her father who seemed to be weighing his words. Opening his mouth, he was soon interrupted by the conductor.

"All aboard. The train will leave now!"

He glanced towards the head of the train then back to his children who were expecting him to say something. "Well, yeah, I guess this is goodbye. You know the drill, send a letter back home every once in a while. Have fun at school, and kick some Slytherin butt," he groaned and held his head. "Bloody hell, Hermione was better at these speeches."

"We don't really need a speech, dad."

Ron released his head and chuckled. "Yeah, I know. Honestly, you can just take over with the speech department, Rose." He paused and watched as other kids started to board the train; the crowd was almost devoid of students — mostly just parents waving to their children who were settling in the train.

"I know the past months have been hard, especially for the both of you. We haven't talked about the whole setup much. I just ramble when it comes up, and I'm pretty sure, I'm about to ramble now, yeah? Just remember, you can forget all your spells, your essays, blimey even your Quidditch tricks, but no matter what, don't forget that you two are my treasures — no scrap that — _our_ treasures." He paused. "Even if your Mum and I aren't together anymore, we both love you no matter what. Remember that, yeah?"

The pair smiled. It was as good as a speech from Ronald Weasley could go. Ron tightly hugged the pair and let them go, helping them both with their bags as they made their way to the train doors. One by one, the children filed in and settled down within their compartments. Outside their windows, their smiling parents were waving.

Soon, the train's engines roared to life. As the children waved goodbye, the train started chugging and moving.

"Hugo! Rose!"

The pair peeked their head out the compartment window, seeing the figure of their father growing farther by the second.

"Write to your Mum, too!"

Hugo shouted, grinning. "We will!"

Ducking their heads back in, Hugo and Rose joined the other Potter and Weasley children. Lily laughed.

"I think that's the loudest I've ever heard you talk, Hugo."

The group exploded in laughter to the expense of a very red Hugo. They then went into conversation about all sorts of things — ranging from the classes each was going to take to the Quidditch tournament coming up, and even up to the recurring news about the Ministry, much to the distaste of Lily and Hugo. Soon, the compartment door opened, and the group was pleasantly surprised to be joined by Scorpius along with a witch sporting short brown hair and pale skin. She was a bit flushed, probably from the cold.

"Oh! Scorpius, Wendy, took you long enough!" Albus stood and excitedly welcomed the pair into the group.

"Yeah, Scorpius here wouldn't shut up about coming here to finally reunite with his boyfriend as if flooing to meet with him, oh I don't know, twice a week over the summer didn't suffice. now, before you get all mushy together."

The group laughed once more as Scorpius sat beside Albus and Wendy sat beside Rose, with the former nodding in greeting towards the latter. Wendy, a Slytherin of the same year as Albus and Scorpius, was part of Albus' circle of friends. In turn, they all, the rest of the cousins included, became acquaintances by the end of last year. Rose, chuckling with tears in her eyes, was about to join the older group's conversation about Scorpius and Albus' escapades when she stopped and noticed her brother. Face blank and staring out the window, he seemed lost in his thoughts. She tuned out the chatter and flicked a candy towards his forehead, leading to a startled Hugo who looked like a deer in headlights.

"Haven't opened that Chocolate Frog yet?" She asked, popping a candy into her mouth.

"Nah, it's probably just another Gunhilda or Ketteridge. I'm just going to be disappointed," he said, trailing off and looking at the greenery outside the window. The sun was just beginning to set as the sky turned a slight orange. It was just a few hours before night would fall, and the train would arrive at castle grounds.

"You reckon I'll reach Dad's 500 before getting Mum's card?"

"Well, with your nearing 300 you're still around 200 away. Also, you have as much luck as Dad, so that's just about..." she put up a mocking face, pretending to count on one finger as Hugo guffawed. "...pretty much nonexistent, if my calculations are correct. Maybe it's finally your lucky day, though," she motioned to the box, grinning.

He looked back at his hands, and after a moment of thought, pocketed the box into his shirt pocket.

"I'll just keep it unopened as a lucky charm, then. Crossed fingers that I'd have an ounce more luck for the year."


	3. Heels

**_Golden Split Confirmed_ **

_Hermione Jean Weasley neé Granger, past Minister of Magic, and Ronald "Ron" Bilius Weasley, both part of the famed Golden trio, have officially filed their divorce last June 25, 2022, after close to 2 decades of marriage, shocking the entire Wizarding World._

_The two have rejected any comment or interview. Close friends and family like famed Harry Potter have also provided no comment. Many Golden trio fanatics have expressed their great dismay at such disheartening news._

_"They're my heroes, you know? Just hearing such sad news breaks my heart because they were this image of true love found in war," a fan says._

_Some sources say that the two divorced due to frequent arguments and unresolved differences. There were rumors that the couple started having serious issues 3 years ago. Reports claim that the two have been regularly spotted going to a muggle therapist just outside the outskirts of London, most likely to avoid any publicity. However, such reports have not been proven._

_Speculation of Ron cheating on Hermione was immediately slammed by Hermione. Said speculation circulated due to sightings of the man with another woman in a muggle pub last month in the outskirts of London._

_"We're not giving you details about our marriage life because that's none of your damn business. However, we'd appreciate it if you don't make up stupid rumors based on unfounded speculation, thank you very much," the current Ministry official angrily said as she exited the Ministry of Magic, immediately escaping through an apparition site._

_The couple has two children, namely Rose Weasley and younger Hugo Weasley who are currently both attending Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Both are also Gryffindors like their parents._

_Currently, Hermione Granger works as the Head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures while Ronald Weasley has long quit his job as an auror to work for his brother George's shop, the popular Weasley's Wizard Wheezes._

_This is a developing story._

READ MORE*: A Growing List of Argenti Cases (page 2), More Appearances of Argenti at Glasgow (page 4), Ex-minister Granger's career timeline and future plans (page 6)*

* * *

Hermione was back at the Granger-Weasley residence to collect some of her leftover items. It's been 3 months since her divorce from Ron, and for the time being, the Ministry official stayed with her parents. Much of the time was spent ruminating and reflecting on her career and family life — along with frequent visits to Hugo and Rose. She looked to the bed piled with trinkets, photo albums, and letters. With a wave of her wand, they all vanished with a _plop,_ and she zipped up all her bags before turning to the door, finding a silent Ron at the doorway. With his hands in his pockets and eyes downcast, he seemed hesitant in speaking.

"Couldn't even stay to chat with the others?"

"Didn't want to cause another scene like at the Burrow," she said. Looking away from her ex-husband, her eyes flitted to a distant photo of her family perched on a shelf from 4 years back. The four were happily posing by the Eiffel tower, with Hugo on Ron's back and Rose in Hermione's arms. Things seemed much simpler back then.

"Besides, I just came for Rose and Hugo. There was no need for me to stay."

Ron didn't seem intent on listening, taking a step forward, "You don't want to come to join us for lunch at the Burrow later? We're having the usual lunch-after-sending-your-kids-away event," he asked softly, carefully walking towards Hermione and placing his hand on her shoulder.

She merely shook her head and shrugged off the hand on her shoulder. Her thoughts were a stormy mess as if the months of isolation and drowning herself in work didn't amount to anything substantial in the healing process she so ached for. Half-smiling, she forced her eyes to stay on the blue pair of eyes in front of her. They used to remind her of the sky, reminding her of the freedom and innocence she yearned for. Instead, years later, she only saw dullness, not the liveliness which everyone else seemed to notice and praise the man for.

"I'll owl my new address. See you at the Ministry."

And with that, she left the house, leaving no backward looks.

* * *

After apparating into a narrow alleyway, Hermione allows herself to go out into the light. She found herself in another neighborhood with sparsely any people. Unlike the Granger-Weasley residence's area with houses of all shapes and sizes, this neighborhood mostly had low-rise buildings and apartments with pockets of greenery interspersed in between every other structure. To her right, she found a mini-park with a few children running amok.

Her feet walked to the front of a simple sleek all-white building. After tapping her wand on the front structure's wall in a pattern-like fashion, she waited by the white rectangular door. The walls grumbled as if awoken from slumber, and the main door morphed to form a partly-rounded black door. Hermione entered to find rows of doors lined across the long hallway.

She immediately went right to enter an open-elevator, jabbing the highest number 5 then hitting close. After arriving on the top floor, she found two doors almost facing one another at the end of the hall. She stood in front of the door on the right and closed her eyes.

_This is it. A new life. A fresh start._

As she was just about to turn her keys into the door, suddenly, she heard angry shouts from the apartment behind her. Arguments grew louder as footsteps went closer to the door. Hermione turned to a heavy thud resounded, and the other door swung wide open. Before Hermione could even register what was happening, a heeled shoe landed on her cheek. Hermione grunted in pain and went down on a knee to pick it up while touching the pained area. A brunette ran past her, rushing into the elevator.

"What the hell? Hey!"

Her complaints were met with no reply as the brunette was gone. Hermione's eyes then fell on another person's bare feet at the doorway of the other apartment. As the Golden Girl looked up, she couldn't hold her surprise as she met a pair of angry-looking turned shocked eyes belonging to an all-too-familiar woman. Looking Hermione up and down, she was obviously frozen on the spot and speechless. The woman, after a split second, schooled her features into a much more recognizable unfazed expression. No longer did Hermione find this morning's lifeless blue — instead she found familiar cold ice.

Her blood boiled.

_What in the flying fuck?_


	4. Black Coffee

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Main plot reveal!

"'Mione can we please talk? You could at least try reconnecting with us."

Hermione was sitting at her desk with her hair seemingly bushier than usual and even sending sparks. Her brows furrowed in frustration and concentration as she filled out yet another document. The blood in her veins roared due to the amount of caffeine she's consumed over the past 48 hours.

"Ron, can we talk later? I'm kind of busy because as you can see..." she motioned her hands to the 3 piles of folders and paper at her desk. "I've got lots of work to do." She looked up and found her ex-husband standing with crossed arms, making intermittent huffs here and there as if these would make Hermione budge. Hermione stopped in her tracks for a second when she noticed her husband's eyes — they were of a different hue than the usual blue. They were almost green. The side of his head was also purpling.

"Ronald Weasley, what on earth happened to your eyes?"

Ron took a moment to register the question before sighing and pointing to his face. "Oh, this? Accident at George's shop," he absentmindedly remarked. "I mishandled one of the prototype potions, and it exploded to my face. Now I could see colors of spells everywhere. It's actually pretty bloody annoying."

Hermione stared at him for a second then went back to piling up her documents. "I have back-to-back meetings in 10 minutes, and am very behind, especially with the impossibly long leave I took. So if you'll excuse me," she said with finality, as yet another pile was added to her desk with a loud _thump._ She held back a grimace as her colleague, a beautiful blonde young woman at a nearby desk offered an apologetic smile.

"Uncle Ron," the colleague said, "Stop bothering Aunt Hermione. If it isn't obvious right not, she's really stressed. Also, honestly, we need all hands on deck with the amount of work we have to do. This department has already been behind over the past few months, so we need to get back on track." She was about to move away when she turned back to Ron, raising a brow. "Do you want me to tell dad you keep bothering her? Will that stop you?"

Ron shook his head. "Victoire, there's no need to tell anybody what I'm doing, especially Bill. You hear me? I'm simply trying to get your aunt here to at least eat with us. Don't you want that, too?" He impatiently continued.

"Well that's her decision, and so far it's a no. Now, with that out of the way, please go away before I drag you out of here myself," she said, moving back to her desk and scanning the documents in her hands.

Hermione watched Ron's uneasy eyes look at the latte beside her. Then to the stapler beside it. Really, he looked at anything but her. The longer she looked at Ron, his pigmented eyes, and purpling bruise, the more it seemed evident that not only she was affected by the divorce. The woman sighed and rested her head in her hands, contemplating.

She didn't want to go back to the Burrow yet. Of course she kept in contact with Harry and Ginny through letters and calls (after the former taught the latter how to use a muggle phone), and she kept them up to tabs with her daily life. But she would be lying to herself if she didn't admit the fact that she was rather closed off in the past months — past years really.

Long conversations at 2 in the morning became short texts in the afternoon during a coffee break. Cries about marital issues became simple "we're doing alright"s. Sorrows were disguised and concealed under plastered smiles never reaching the eyes. The look on Harry's eyes whenever they met showed that he obviously knew things weren't going well, but Hermione was grateful that he never prodded nor forced her to talk. The most he did was hold her hand or hug her.

Hence, when the divorce became public, the onslaught of media interference and questioning couldn't be satisfied by Harry or Ginny or anyone of the sort, as even if they wanted to answer (which they didn't), they couldn't for the life of them know what was really going on.

Hermione shook herself out of the barrage of thoughts that visited her mind. Her mind was whirring; was she really going to do this?

"Owl me when the next lunch is."

Ron brightened. "'Mione—"

Hermione laughed as she watched Ron slowly gather his words. To shake out of his stupor, he shook his head and was about to speak as Harry abruptly burst into the room. He looked exhausted, with his eyes sunken and hair in disarray. He clasped a few documents on one hand and a cup of black coffee on the other. _Oh, the joys of coffee._

"Ron, sorry to interrupt. Hermione, come with us. Please."

"What? I have work to do—"

"The Minister called for you."

That was all it took for Hermione to stare at Harry dumbfounded with her mouth wide open, with a pointer finger up, which was slowly descending in defeat.

Before she knew it, Harry and Hermione were walking hurriedly through the second floor, with Ron following them closely behind, looking very much confused and out-of-place in his casual attire. Soon, they entering the Auror Office. It was pure chaos — countless wizards and witches were either debating or shouting, and aurors were scampering back and forth as a man's voice echoed through the area.

"Williamson, Everest, go immediately to Glasgow. Another Argenti was reported there."

"Contact the Chinese Ministry. Afterwards, talk to the French—"

"Rivers, Yabuki, you two floo to Leeds. Argenti—"

"Argenti found—"

"Report back to—"

"—two Argenti—"

"Argenti—"

Hermione was absorbing the overload of information being commanded all around. She couldn't recall a time when the office was so busy and in a slight panic. Her thoughts were interrupted by a pull into a meeting room. Inside, she was surprised to find not only a room full of the Ministry's top aurors and officials, including the current Minister of Magic, Cassandra Griffiths, a golden brown and lanky lady sporting a short cut of pitch-black hair with purple streaks. Her eagle eyes looked intently at Hermione as she entered the room.

"Minister Griffiths —"

"Oh Hermione, how many times do I have to tell you —"

"Cass," Hermione interrupted, exasperated and unconsciously scanning the room. She found some of the brightest individuals of the Ministry from every department. They were here for a very important meeting, indeed. "You asked for me?"

Cassandra straightened her back and clasped her hands together, forcing herself to school her face into a much more serious one. Nodding her head, she turned to Harry, raising a brow.

Harry immediately sided the Minister and addressed the entire room, putting down his coffee and urgently flipping through the papers he possessed. Seemingly satisfied, he waved his wand and the papers in his hands flew all around the room to stick on the walls. Each paper had an individual with short descriptions.

"These are all the Argenti cases, including the ones sighted today. There's been an increase in their appearances over the past few days, but today's just been record-breaking in terms of number. Most of the aurors have been deployed to collect them."

Hermione allowed this information to set in. With purpose, she looked around and noticed that the individuals weren't, to her surprise, limited to only wizards and witches, as even the likes of centaurs and goblins were present. Noting the labels, there were even muggles mixed in. Mind racing and heart-pounding, Hermione began searching for any similarities.

_Gender? No, there was an almost equal ratio. Color or race? Not quite. She found people from a variety of colors and races — British, Americans, Swedish, German, Japanese, and Filipino to name a few. Were they mostly muggle-borns? Purebloods? Did they live in the same area? Any sicknesses? Traits? Age? Mostly middle-aged. But what of it?_

Harry began to walk around and started discussing, "To recap for the sake of everyone here," he looked at Hermione and a few other non-aurors. "The minister has gathered you all here because she thinks you all can be instrumental in the solving of this case, which has become of top priority."

"The Argenti are mostly middle-aged, with the youngest being 18 and the oldest. So far, they all fit into the Argenti classification we've created for this case. They're all unidentified individuals with no known blood connections, whether it be those of magical blood or muggle blood, non-humans included. We've been consulting the global tree on the top floor, and we can't find any connections. None of the Argenti recall anything of their lives except their first names, presumably, they're even remembering correctly."

Hermione clutched the table. It felt like somebody was twisting her stomach and clouding her thoughts. Sweat started trickling down her brow, and she started shivering. An influx of great confusion plagued her. _Not now, Hermione. Not now with everybody watching._

"There have been new developments," he continued. If the room was quiet before, it was dead silent now. "Some of the earlier Argenti are starting to remember things."

At that, everyone in the room wore shocked faces and widened eyes, and they started talking with one another, save for Hermione who was trying to contain her emotions. She couldn't help it. These episodes have become an irregular occurrence over the past years, ever since she entered married life. They were only made much more frequent since the divorce. The only difference was that all the past instances happened in the comfort of her own home — never in a public space.

"Hermione?" Harry's voice echoed in her mind.

"I'm alright, just thinking," she heard herself say. _Focus._ She willed herself to open her eyes and breathe evenly. In, out. In, out.

_One is true silver, two are golden, and three are bronze._

Forcing her mind back to the task at hand, she ruminated on the individuals scattered around the room's walls. At the back of her mind, she knew she wasn't wrapping her head around something — something which should be so obvious to her. It bothered her to no end.

_Something's missing, think!_

"What were the memories, Harry?" she asked a little too loudly, effectively silencing the rest of the group. She didn't notice that Ron was already watching her intently.

"Everyday memories," he said, pacing to one of the papers on his left. "They recounted things like walking on the streets of London, attending Hogwarts, or flying to Mexico. However, when they try remembering other people, they start getting headaches and their memories go fuzzy. They reported silver hazes appearing around themselves in their memories, especially in the fuzzy segments."

Hermione frowned. _Weird._ "So are all their memories limited to things they did on their own?"

"Not quite. We were surprised to find that some memories were with other people, but they were covered by the haze and unidentifiable."

Hermione took a moment to process this. "Am I allowed to bring home your files on the Argenti case, Harry?"

Cassandra interrupted, "You can take all the files you need, Hermione." She stood up and patted down her coat. "In all honesty, we've been needing your aid for a long while now, but I respected your decision of a leave. For now, cancel all your other projects or give them to your other department members. After all, beyond needing your expertise on non-humans, we'll be needing the full aid of the Brightest Witch of Her Age."

The woman sighed, and with finality in her tone said, "That will be all. Now, the rest of you aurors, collect the rest of the Argenti. Obliviate bystander muggles, and clean up the mess. We don't have much time."


	5. The Utterly Complete How's and Why's to Creatures

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, kudos and comments are appreciated! Love writing during the holidays rather than studying tbh haha

"To our new faces, welcome to Hogwarts, where your magic will thrive and your characters will surely grow. To our old faces," Headmistress McGonagall glanced at the older students and gave a mocking pointed look, especially towards a group of older students at the Slytherin table. "As always, make the most out of your year, but keep out of trouble." A great portion of the older students laughed, even the group of Slytherins. "Well, let's not keep you waiting. I'm sure you're all ecstatic to eat. A good evening to you all, and dig in."

As she held her hands up, food appeared on each long table's formerly empty plates. Mouthwatering roast beef, boiled potatoes, Yorkshire pudding, and the like were immediately attacked by the groups of famished students. Minerva merely smiled at the familiar sight as she sat back down on her chair to eat.

Rose watched with disgust as her brother savagely devour a plate of roast beef. "Hugo Weasley, I honest-to-goodness thought that you at least improved your table manners over the summer." She wrinkled her nose and poured her brother a glass of juice.

"Careful now, you don't want another incident like last year."

"Oh shut up, sis!" he said with a full mouth.

Laurel, a girl with wavy blonde hair the color of honey butter, laughed and offered her portion of roast beef to Hugo. "Here, have mine. I actually ate quite a lot before getting here."

"You're an angel in disguise, Laurel! Merlin bless you," Hugo said, immediately chomping on the added portions on his plate.

Laurel merely laughed and turned to Rose. "I know I'm not supposed to be surprised that you passed all your OWLs but damn, you're really going to take all those subjects, Rose? How are we going to win the Quidditch tournament if our best Chaser's stuck in her books?"

The addressed grinned at her best friend, leaning in and whispering as if revealing a secret. "I have to be in my top game if I want to beat Lia at her own game." She paused and feigned anger when Laurel gave an incredulous look. "What? I'm serious, she's been topping half of the classes we take together!"

"Yes, and the other half was topped by you."

"That's not the point!"

"Look Rose," Laurel said, crossing her arms and giving a pointed look. "I had to listen to your endless complaining about how your dad was pushing you to compete with Scorpius. Now, you're telling me that you're competing with someone else, plus out of your own volition?"

"Uhm, yes?"

"Rose Weasley, you literally just rewrote Scorpius Malfoy's name and inked in Lia Evernight's."

"Laurel," Rose said, wandlessly cleaning Hugo's face covered in gravy then looking back at her best friend. "Just let me have my fun, alright? It's not about dad anymore, anyway."

"Then what is this about?" Laurel asked, giving a slightly concerned look. "Don't tell me it's about—"

"Hugo!"

The group turned to a sprightly Lily almost crashing into the table. Her gaze immediately fell on a slightly fearful Hugo who was staring down at his last bite of roast beef, not moving an inch. He seemed a little taken aback.

"Hugo, you owe me 2 galleons," she said smiling wide with mischievous eyes. Her arm was outstretched as if to say _cough up the money._

"Ugh! Fine take your rotten money, you scammer!"

The boy reluctantly handed over the coins from his pocket to which Lily grabbed. Lily smirked and skipped back and away to her group of friends. Her cackling laughter reached many far ears as she stuck her tongue out at Hugo. The groaning poor boy was patted on the back by another boy his age.

Laurel chuckled as Rose almost had steam going out her ears. Hugo looked at Rose then immediately looked away. Big mistake.

"Mum said no betting, Hugo! And 2 galleons? Are you kidding me?" Her tone was slightly reprimanding, and her voice was slowly rising.

Hugo shrunk back. "Please don't tell mum."

Rose looked him directly in the eyes as the boy shrunk back even further. She sighed and softened her look, willing herself to calm down.

"Lily's really going to take after uncle George. Suspicions confirmed." She paused. " I won't tell mum, but don't do it again," she added, noticing that Hugo was slowly getting less tense. "What were you betting about anyways?"

"Oh," Hugo said, almost not believing his luck — he wasn't busted! "Lily betted that there wouldn't be any hat stalls a while ago during the Sorting Ceremony. I better otherwise."

"That's a pretty stupid bet," Laurel chimed in, finishing her Yorkshire Pudding. "You could've at least bet on having no hat stalls. We literally haven't had any hat stalls since our year came to Hogwarts."

The boy pointed at Rose, rolling her eyes. "Probably because nobody comes close to this idiot who had a 2-minute hatstall." He turned to his sister and grunted. "Why didn't they just put you in Ravenclaw so I could get away from you at least at school?"

Rose furrowed her brow, picking her fork and eating Hugo's last bite of roast beef. Once the beef hit her tongue, she forced herself to moan loudly, to Hugo's extreme annoyance. Some of the nearby Gryffindors and even some Hufflepuffs looked to their group. He shoved her.

"Hey, what was that for?!"

Rose laughed. "For calling me an idiot. But here," she said, putting another serving of roast beef on his plate. "I'm just kidding. I'm not heartless enough to take away roast beef from a famished Hugo Weasley."

"Oh really now? Not an idiot you say?" Laurel asked jokingly, leaning her elbow on the table and cocking her head to a side. "And besides, Lia had a waaaaaay longer hat stall than you. Hers took close to 10 minutes if I do so remember correctly."

"Urgh! You're impossible, Chaves. I thought you said I should stop competing!"

"Who said it was a competition? I was merely stating a fact, Weasley."

"I swear if we weren't friends—"

"Ehem."

The group abruptly turned to the source of the cough, a fidgeting Wendy who was waiting behind Rose. Her face was flushed red against her brown locks, even more so than moments ago at the train. In fact, she was almost as red as Rose's hair. She swayed back and forth in an erratic fashion with her hands behind her back.

"Um, Rose, you— you sort of forgot something at the train. Here," she said, immediately forcing a small box in Rose's hands and running away back to the Slytherin table. Clumsily, she tripped on herself on the way there and immediately picked herself back up before she fell completely. Now she was as bright as a fresh tomato.

"What was that about?" Rose asked, her eyes following the blonde girl who sat down beside Scorpius, with Albus and Scorpius laughing hysterically and pointing at her face. The sheepish girl put her head down completely on the table, with her ears reddish.

"Not like you to forget something, Rose," Laurel said, her eyes never leaving the Slytherin table, except she wasn't exactly looking at the Albus-Scorpius-Wendy trio. Her eyes drifted to the figure on Wendy's left, engrossed in a book, hair messy and eyes concentrated. Rose didn't notice this as her attention was focused on the box in her hands.

Hugo was gone now; he went to the other side of the table to chat with some of his friends. With a quick glance at Hugo who was now smiling and laughing with the other kids his age, she chewed on her lip and addressed Laurel.

"Yes, not like me because I didn't leave this in the train."

At that Laurel's head snapped back to Rose, and the pair examined the box. It was a red box around the size of 2 hands. Rose untied the carefully tied golden ribbon around it; as she removed the lid, her eyes widened and the Gryffindor couldn't hold back a wide grin.

"No way! These are Flourish and Blotts's limited edition of the 'The Utterly Complete How's and Why's to Creatures' series! These are impossible to get; I've literally lined up thrice to try a shot at these! How even!?"

It was one of those unlikely and uncommon instances where Rose was baffled and rambling. Laurel looked perplexed as she looked into the small box with 3 small truffle-sized rectangles — books? Were those supposed to be books?

"Oh for heavens," Rose said, noting Laurel's confusion as the latter tilted her head from side to side. She muttering a quick _Engorgio,_ and one of the books enlarged to the size of half the table, surprising everyone in the vicinity as the book fell to the ground with a large _thud_. Laurel stared at the book with widened eyes and a questioning look.

"All that for creatures? And 3 books at that?"

"Oh stop with your non-human ignorance! You'd think that being friends with me would teach you more about them, but it seems you still lack a bit more Rose-influence," she joked, elbowing her friend gently.

Now ignoring her friend, and with a silent _Reducio,_ the book reverted back to its original minuscule size, and Rose picked it back up, her eyes bright and excited. She gingerly picked up a small card inside. Afterwards, she immediately closed the box and kept the package safely tucked within her robes.

The Weasley read the small card with — was that watercolor design? It had impossibly small paintings of trees and birds with a sunset backdrop. On it had words written in very neat and cursive writing. It was obviously written with a muggle calligraphy pen instead of a quill.

_Hope you like the books. I've already read them cover to cover twice, and I thought you might like them. You can have these. Can I invite you out to Hogsmeade on the first weekend we're free? You can bring Laurel with you if you'd prefer that. I'll bring a friend, too. - Wendy_

Rose's brows shot up and she immediately looked to the Slytherin table. She didn't realize that at this point, almost half the hall was already empty, with many more leaving to their chambers. Prefects were already herding first years out of the Hall, and groups started standing up from their tables. Almost frantically, Rose's eyes looked for the blonde amongst the almost-empty Slytherin table.

Not finding her there, she was relieved to find Wendy close to exiting the Great Hall, with the latter's gaze firmly fixed on the redhead. She seemed more determined now, albeit still with a red face, which Rose now recognized as a blush.

Rose smiled shyly and bit her lip. Mouthing a thank you, she nodded quite a heavy nod. To ensure she got the message across, she raised a big thumbs up with a wide smile.

Wendy squealed in delight and jumped on Albus' back, shaking him until he fell. Angrily, Scorpius put an arm around a fallen Albus and was about to sermon the girl when he noticed her impossible grin. Confused, the Malfoy looked at Rose and chuckled at her slightly blushing face.

Walking away, he dragged the 2 Slytherins out the hall with teasing remarks, leaving Rose to fend for herself as she was bombarded with questions from the other Gryffindor. Soon, the two lions were about to leave the hall as well, with the 2 of them being the last ones left. As Rose exited the Hall, Laurel's eyes drifted to a student talking to the headmistress — the two seemed to be in a heated argument, judging by the exasperated expression on the girl's face and the slightly angry expression on the headmistress. Laurel's stare lasted a tad bit longer than she intended, as it was the same student with jet black hair who was buried in a book at the Slytherin table.

"Laurel, come on," a still-red Rose called out. With a last glance at the student-professor pair, she reluctantly followed Rose out of the Hall.

* * *

_Dear Mum,_

_How are you doing? I sincerely hope you're doing well. Have you been taking your meds? I hope you've settled into your new apartment as well. I honestly have so many questions. How are your neighbors? Were the Never-ending Blooms I gave you suited to the apartment decor? I sure hope so!_

_Dad told us to write letters to you, so I'm hoping Hugo's letters reach you well. Promise though, I was going to send letters to you, too. I would never forget._

_I'm glad you got to see us off at King's Cross, even just for a little while. Hugo was kind of out of it during the train ride going here, but I believe he's fine. I'll make sure he stays out of trouble (insert grunting drawing here). As always, I'm excited for the year to start. I'll do my best in my subjects, and I'll beat you at Quidditch and Divination! Just wait and see._

_Also, fine, you were right about Wendy. In my defense, I honestly thought that sending caramel sticks and chocolate frogs every week was something she did with everyone. Please don't give me the "I told you so talk" when I get back. I've had enough teasing from Laurel as it is._

_With regards to your invitation to live with you after this year, I have thought long and hard about it. I have to admit, what was holding me back was leaving Hugo behind. But after talking to him and dad, I've decided to accept your offer. From what you've told me about your apartment, it seems like a rather peaceful and homey area, even if I'm probably not used to living in a muggle area._

_Make sure I'm the first one you tell when you get a new lover, so I can tease you as well. (And don't say you're already an old hag; you know we barely look apart in age. I don't know if it's the Granger genes, but I hope I do inherit them if that's the case.) I'll anticipate your next letter. Love you always!_

_Your favorite child,_

_Rose_


	6. Daffodils, Roses, and Dahlias

Looking back, Hermione grew up with an elegant modern type of home back at the Granger residence, with black and white marble making up for the most part of the house. After she was married, she grew fond of the Granger-Weasley residence, with its homey brick interior and fireplace-possessing living room, a sharp contrast to the cold elegance of her childhood home. Countless shades of bold reds, oranges, and browns covered the walls and floors, with wood as the primary fixture.

But even with this, she grew tired of its familiar warmth as it seemed to burn into her soul; she needed a cooler place where she could collect her thoughts, where she might find some peace away from all the anger and resentment she came to associate with her second home.

Thus, as Hermione looked around at her new apartment, she was thoroughly impressed with her own work, consciously praising herself. She decided on a style somewhere in between the classics and contemporary, with a heavy emphasis on nature. She took heavy inspiration from earth colors as much of the furniture was of light browns and earthy woods. To make sure the colors weren't overbearing, her walls were of a pure white, and she added accent colors of pale cream to her carpets, giving a sophisticated yet homey look to her home. All around, she added pots of plants to every room to add hints of color and to seal the look.

"Oh, I almost forgot!"

She scanned the items delivered by her door, and after a few seconds of searching. She smiled as her eyes fell on a vase of flowers. _Oh Rose, this is perfect,_ she thought. She gingerly held up the vase and admired it, placing it close to a nearby window as the sunlight fell on the perfectly bloomed flowers. It was a vase of Never-ending Blooms from Rose, particularly a bouquet of golden daffodils, red roses, and white dahlias.

After a moment of some much-deserved appreciation of the beautiful flowers, Hermione added the final touch to her house by placing the vase at the center of her round wooden dining table. Afterward, the golden girl flopped onto her couch, not caring about the sprawled out position she took, and lazily closing her eyes to enjoy the momentary peace she earned.

A few raps on the door.

 _Okay, maybe it's too much to ask for a moment of peace_ , she thought.

She groaned and stood up, slightly swaying from exhaustion as she stretched her arms upwards. As she walked towards the door, her phone vibrated from within the pocket of her skinny jeans, and she opened it to see an incoming call.

"Hello?"

"Delivery for a Miss Hermione Granger? It's Chester's Coffee. We're downstairs with the coffee maker. Can you pick it up?"

"Absolutely, I'll be right down in a minute."

After hanging up, Hermione hastily grabbed a nearby brown coat suspended on a coat hanger as well as her keys by the flower vase. After, she changed out of her room slippers and changed into a pair of flats. She liked to keep tidy in the house, especially now that she lived alone and could control all (her) of the occupants' choices. She looked out the peephole for the unexpected visitor who knocked on her door. Up and down the hallway she scanned, yet it was devoid of any people.

_Huh, that's funny._

She opened the door and stopped herself. On the floor was a cup of coffee, seeming to be still hot judging by the steam pouring out of its narrow opening, atop a small paper with fancy handwriting. She sighed. She'd know that fancy feminine handwriting anywhere. Tiredly, she up the coffee and note to read.

"I'm deeply sorry for the commotion and the wound. I hope some coffee would make up for the trouble caused. Welcome to La Vita Nuova Place. Ironic that two divorcées find themselves living in the same building, no? If you need anything, I'm quite literally just a few steps away. Hope you have a good stay."

Unsurprisingly, the note was cold and uninviting, just like the rest of Hermione's interaction with the one and only Fleur Weasley reverted back to Fleur Delacour.

 _Fleur Delacour_ , she thought.

Just the thought of her ex-in-law infuriated the brunette, as her locks electrified and her teeth seethed in muted anger. Her eyes intensely stared at the door in front of her, as if staring could bore holes through the wood and reach its owner. Her thoughts drifted to all the interactions she had with the elegantly cold blonde, all of them being feisty arguments and disagreements that always ended in either loud or in the silent cold treatment; there was no in-between.

She recounted a particular instance at The Burrow when the family celebrated Rose's 6th birthday. The two had a large argument about one of the laws Hermione's department was pushing for to aid the community of veela. It was particularly about a law to support veela entering puberty such that they would be aided in their transition to full veela-hood, considering they were usually away from their clan. The law was already in its last stage of approval, only needing the Minister's signature to be passed and to take full effect.

* * *

_"Non, you do not understand 'Ermione!" Fleur angrily retorted. She had slightly reverted back to her French accent almost always when debating with the brunette. "Such a law will not be effective because veela are most vulnerable during puberty. They will not reveal such transformations to the public, of course unless they 'ave gone mad!"_

_"Fleur, that's exactly why we're passing the law — so that they're safe as they transition!"_

_"Are you insulting my race?" Hermione was pushed back with a finger to her chest, held up by a very very angry Fleur. "That we cannot protect ourselves? That we're weak, non? Is that what you're saying 'Ermione?!"_

_"What on earth are you insinuating, Fleur?! We're literally just trying to create a safe space for your kind! While I admit that the veela are very much capable of protecting their own kin, you have to admit that they can't provide the same kind of protection to the young veela when they're they're at school."_

_The quarter-veela seemed taken aback as her eyes widened. Her brow furrowed in frustration, and softly and menacingly, she spat, "You should know better, 'Ermione."_

_Hermione was indignant. How dare Fleur make assumptions like that? Know better?! The department consulted with veela, including Fleur's own mother Apolline, before passing the law. What else was there to know about?_

_The two stared each other down, quite forgetting that they were at a large table at the back of the Burrow, surrounded by family and friends who were either whispering or openly ignoring the obvious argument occurring. Bill, on Fleur's left, was coaxing the latter with whispers to calm down, and while Ron, on Hermione's right, was pulling his wife down from her standing position._

_"'Mione, you're making a scene again. Blimey, must it be at almost every other gathering?" Ron muttered under his breath._

_Fleur opened her mouth only to close it again. She walked to Rose and kissed her cheek, hugging her and wishing her a happy birthday. Her smile slightly fell as she walked towards Ron, actively avoiding the angry gaze of Hermione._

_"Thank you for the food, Ronald," she said, her voice slightly shaking, probably from anger, Hermione thought. The food was lovely. However, I'll leave early. It seems I only cause trouble, and I'm quite tired. I wouldn't want to ruin beautiful Rose's birthday."_

_Before the blonde turned and left in the direction of the exit, Hermione could have sworn she saw tears falling from blue desolate eyes._

* * *

Hermione was now in the elevator sipping from her coffee, pressing the button at the bottom saying, "ML". She stopped and looked at the surprisingly good drink, noting the familiar coffee shop selling the drink. _Le Petite Prince._ It tasted of latte with cinnamon, her secret pleasure. Nobody knew of this, except for Ron, Harry, and Ginny. She smiled and shook her head, _no, this was probably just a fluke. How could Fleur even know of this?_

Thinking back to one of her first rounds around the community, she found the coffee shop selling the coffee just 2 blocks from La Vita Nuova Place. She remotely remembered latte with cinnamon being their specialty as it was drawn on a chalkboard stand outside their café, along with a few childish drawings of roses, baobabs, and planets just like in the book that inspired the café's name.

The elevator came to a halt, and its red lights showed "Muggle Lobby." Instead of the simple landing she came into just yesterday, she was greeted by a small posh lobby with velvet chairs and quaint glass tables between them. To her right, as she exited the lift, was a front desk with an elegant gold plated sign in which was printed "La Vita Nuova Hotel." The desk was manned by a man wearing a suit who was attending to a few tourists lined up in front of him.

"Where to next in our itinerary?" A man in his mid-forties asked another woman around the, looking at a large paper creased longitudinally.

"Let's go to Big Ben next after lunch, darling."

Ignoring the conversations around her, Hermione approached a man in his early twenties sporting a white cap and a black uniform. She checked the package in his hands, a large brown box with a fragile sticker and her name labeled on the side.

"Excuse me, I think that's my package," she said, watching the man look at her with a faint blush.

"Oh, Miss Hermione Granger?" He put down the box on a nearby table and handed Hermione a document to sign. As Hermione signed the document, she noticed the delivery man removing his cap and not-so-discretely staring at her, his blush now reaching all the way to his ears.

"Will that be all?" She asked, gently picking up the package and ensuring it was the right model through peeking inside.

"Would— would you like to get coffee sometime, miss?" he asked abashedly, gulping and with sweat trickling down the side of his face.

She chuckled and tilted his head to a side, sipping her coffee again. "Young man, I'm quite sure I'm around twice your age."

"Tw-twice my age?! Aren't you at most in your thirties, miss?"

"Thank you for the compliment. But I'm in my mid-forties. I'm sure you'll deliver to much more beautiful fine young ladies your age," she said, holding the package up to her chest. "Thanks for the package though. Have a good day."

Seeing as he was rendered mute, Hermione turned back to the elevators; she checked the young man and held back laughter as he stayed rooted in his place with a nonplussed expression and with his mouth hanging half-open. With a _ding,_ the elevator opened, and Hermione entered. By the time she reached her floor, her coffee cup was very much empty. _I'll have to remember to pass by the coffee place sometime and buy another cup. This was absolutely delicious_ , she thought.

As the elevator doors opened, she was met by the same brunette from yesterday's incident who, upon seeing Hermione, met her with widened eyes. Without giving a second glance, Hermione stalked off the elevator and violently threw her cup into a nearby bin, making large strides to her apartment then slamming the door.

* * *

Later in the evening, Hermione was now on the floor with all the files concerning the Argenti case sprawled all around her. She had initially taken to working on the couch with the documents stalked neatly in front of her, but after hours of working and reading through each file, she found it inefficient to go through each one-by-one; there were just way too many to go through individually. It would simply be a waste of time.

After 3 hours of going through the files, she had her head in her hands. She listed off the information she had in her head.

 _They're all middle-aged or older,_ she pondered. _There were 2232 cases of Argenti appearances worldwide. 1509, around half, appeared yesterday all around the world with almost equal distribution. They exhibit signs of memory loss or memory alteration with silver hazes. They're all unidentified individuals._

_They started appearing simultaneously a year ago on March 23, 2021 at 8:02 pm British time exactly, with 55 Argenti appearing in total — 15 in the UK, 14 in France, 7 in America, 8 in Mexico, 3 in China, 1 in the Philippines, 2 in Vietnam, 1 in Korea, and 4 in Africa._

_The Argenti were observed to be covered in some sort of coal or soot from head to toe — almost as if coming out of a chimney. They appeared in public areas and private areas alike, with some appearing at train stations, restaurants, and schools. Some other locations included on sidewalks, inside bedrooms, and even empty house lots. For creatures, they mostly appeared wherever their civilization mostly resided such as in rainforest or natural areas._

_The aurors observed no distinct pattern to where they appeared, but I can at least deduce that the area they appeared in had to be accessible to human civilization, or creature civilization for that matter. It depended on who appeared. It was never in any remote area. This can be confirmed because of the aurors' tracking of magical signatures. No other magical signature was found in uninhabitable areas._

Hermione sighed. Was she getting anywhere? Her mind, although in full throttle, has just been running in circles like a horse around a racetrack. _I'm not getting anywhere!_

Her thoughts were disturbed by another set of knocking sounds on the door. Exhausted and without a care, she opened the door to an equally tired Fleur Delacour, with 2 envelopes in one hand and an empty coffee cup on the other. She wore a navy blue dress reaching just above her knees as well as a brown overcoat. Her hair was slightly unkempt, at least to the standards of the usually impeccable French witch. The blonde had obviously not slept well last night, considering her bloodshot red eyes and dark circles.

Hermione held her mouth, but failed to keep her laughter in, not with her enemy so obviously out of it. With a loud and hearty laugh, she held the doorframe for support and clutched her belly. Fleur, slightly annoyed but more confused, raised a single brow and placed the 2 envelopes in Hermione's hands.

"You think this is funny? A few vaults at Gringotts exploded with jinxed artifacts and coins. They were never-endingingly multiplying, and it took the whole day to charm clean! Merde!" she exclaimed with her hands up in exasperation. The blonde looked up to the ceiling, exhaling slowly and chewing her lip. When she had calmed down, she looked back to a neutral Hermione.

Hermione could see the cogs in Fleur's mind turning, and she didn't like it one bit. Looking at the blonde's smirking expression, it seemed like she was supposed to say something wittingly insulting. However, the quarter-veela's eyes changed from one of mischief to one of curiosity as she stopped herself and peered to the scene behind the Golden Girl — particularly at the huge mess of papers on the floor. Hermione frowned and looked down at the envelopes in her hand.

"These letters. Are they mine?"

Fleur ignored Hermione's question and walked into the apartment, apparently inviting herself. Unprepared, Hermione tried pushing Fleur back, but it was useless; Fleur had already gone past her. Without a second thought, Hermione grabbed a nearby pair of room slippers and was about to shove them to Fleur when Hermione's brows shot up in surprise. In front of her, Fleur had already changed out of her silver heels and put on another pair of room slippers.

Oblivious to Hermione's surprise, Fleur went further into the apartment and squatted beside the sprawl of messy documents. Fleur's eyes widened, and she looked back at Hermione, with an unrecognizable mix of emotions. Seeing Hermione's puzzled expression, Fleur immediately schooled her face into something more neutral.

 _Was that a hint of anger?_ Hermione asked herself, crossing her arms.

"Yes," Fleur began, straightening her back then standing up and patting down her dress. "Those letters were mistakenly delivered to my apartment by 2 owls. I think one's from Rose and the other's from your parents."

"What?" Hermione asked in disbelief. "That's impossible! Owls are supposed to know where to go!"

"Oui, it is very confusing. I do not know why it happened either."

Hermione rubbed her temple, almost as if expecting a giant headache. _What a hassle. I don't even have time for this. If this continues, I'm going to need to keep getting my letters from Fleur, ugh!_ She opened her eyes to a slightly concerned Fleur.

"You are alright, Hermione?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a damn hassle. Too many damn hassles."

The blonde chuckled then bit her inner cheek. Hermione raised a brow and examined Fleur. It seemed today was the most hesitant Hermione has ever seen Fleur, even after years of endless family gatherings, dinners, and unavoidable arguments (which were of course just so natural for in-laws).

 _It's obvious she's so out of it because of work,_ she remarked to herself, watching as the blonde in thought was now absentmindedly gesturing to the documents on the floor.

"I thought you were still with Victoire at the Department for Magical Creatures?"

"Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," Hermione corrected.

"Yes, same thing. Why do you have the Argenti case on your hands?"

"They needed help," Hermione said, her eyes trailing the floor as she scanned the papers and their pictures. "It's become urgent."

Hermione looked up to ice-blue eyes which held a twinge of sadness. It was honestly the first time she's ever seen Fleur hold an expression like this. The blonde began to walk around the room in silence with her eyes glued to the floor's papers. Aimlessly, she looked at each picture's individual in the eyes, almost as if she were talking to them. Hermione could only watch in silence.

"It's pretty sad, non?" Fleur asked after a few moments as if addressing nobody in particular. The blonde crossed her arms and tightly held her coat. "Remembering nothing but your name that is. Who knows what they forgot?"

Before Hermione could properly think and respond, Fleur was already changing back to her heels and left the room slippers tucked neatly in the corner. Hermione spun around and was about to thank the blonde for the coffee when Fleur interrupted.

"Best of luck with the case, Hermione."

And then without so much as a backward glance, she left the apartment.

* * *

_Dear Mum and Dad,_

_I laughed way too hard when you said that you were ecstatic to try using owls after all these years. You'll get sick of it after sending and receiving half a dozen letters. Trust me, texting or calling is much more amusing. Just look at my friends Harry and Ginny and their maxed out phone bills._

_I'm glad the memory vials I send still work for both of you. I know I left and labeled a lot at the house good for at least 3 months, but I'll still be sending vials every month just in case. Tell me if anything goes wrong, and I'll be back in a jiffy. Don't hesitate to CALL me. Do NOT owl me, for heaven's sake!_

_The apartment is very charming if I do say so myself. It's not the "Granger" style, but I'd like to think it has its own beauty as I've chosen the theme of nature for the vibe. I'm sure mum will like the look, and I'd think she'll especially adore the centerpiece Rose gave: a vase of Never-ending Blooms with daffodils, roses, and dahlias. The daffodils are golden daffodils, mum's favorite. It's a bonus that these will never wilt, as they've been magically altered to avoid doing so._

_Funny story, but my mail (both yours and Rose's) was received by my neighbor, the only other person living on my floor, who happens to also be my ex-in-law. Remember Bill's wife? Yeah, it's her, the one person who gets on my nerves. Just my luck that my neighbor would be Fleur Delacour. There was an eventful incident yesterday, but I'd rather not talk about it. At least now we're on speaking terms.... although really she still infuriates me._

_You can visit me anytime, but please do tell me ahead of time when you'll come so I can whip something up for you both, even if my kitchen will probably be on fire by the time you arrive. Better to serve something burnt than nothing at all, right?_

_Love always,_

_Hermione_


	7. Chairs and Flames

Students clad in either red and gold or green and silver were slowly pouring into the classroom. Rose raced to the front seat, slightly pushing her way through her crowding classmates, and she placed her outstretched hand on the center seat. At the same time, another hand was placed on top of hers.

Rose, in confusion, looked up and saw another pair of equally confused blue eyes. Rose scowled, pulling the chair towards her and sitting. The Gryffindor looked back up at the other girl, hearing the scraping of chairs resound throughout the room as everyone started settling in.

"Lia, please, let me have this seat. At least this class."

The girl, Lia, scrunched her nose and furrowed her brows. Running both her hands through her jet black hair in frustration, she crossed her arms and waited for a moment. Realizing that Rose wasn't going to budge, she sighed in resignation. Her Slytherin scarf hid the meek pout she gave the redhead.

"Fine, but I want front seat in Divination," she said, muffled but loud enough to be understood.

"Deal. Nice doing business with you, Evernight."

"Same goes for you, Weasley."

The raven-haired girl strode to the other side of the room and sat beside Wendy who immediately tackled Lia as she settled down.

"What the hell?!"

"How did you do it?"

"What are you talking about, Wendy?" Lia asked, slightly mortified and on the edge of her seat, as if about to run away.

"How do you talk to her and not go all panicky?"

Lia scoffed. "Weasley? She's the crush you've been gushing about all summer?"

"Shut up!" The blonde Slytherin said, slightly red and in alarm.

"I'm pretty sure Rose already knows from that impossible gift you gave her. You better thank me for the suggestion, by the way."

Wendy coughed and immediately glanced at Rose, realizing the topic of discussion was engrossed in conversation with Laurel, her best friend. Relieved that they weren't overheard, Wendy smacked Lia's shoulder while the latter groaned in mock pain.

On the other side, Rose, in the corner of her eye, observed the 2 Slytherins' banter, slightly surprised. _I didn't know they were so close. Always thought Wendy's main friends were just Al and Scorpius._ Behind the pair, Albus and Scorpius were whispering and openly flirting, at least from the way their eyes spoke to one another. She snickered and was about to send a paper airplane to the couple when her thoughts were interrupted. The door suddenly opened, and in came, to the slight shock of every student in the room, Headmistress McGonagall.

Rose's eyes widened as Laurel quite obviously leaned in to ask in hushed whispers, "I thought we had Professor Patil for Transfiguration."

"That is quite correct, Miss Chaves," the headmistress responded quite close to the poor Gryffindor, effectively jolting her in surprise which caused some laughter among her classmates. Minerva smiled warmly at a slightly embarrassed Laurel.

"Professor Patil is unfortunately unavailable today as he went to check on his family. There was an Argenti that appeared in their family home and so he is needed there at the moment," she began, as a few students started whispering and giving each other glances. "The Argenti case is currently being taken care of by the Auror Office," she continued, her eyes stopping momentarily on a slightly conscious Albus Potter. She allowed her eyes to pass the poor boy, eventually settling on Lia.

"Not to worry though as he will be back just in time for your next class. For today, I will be introducing the subject and handle the first lesson, which is..." With a flick of her wand, the headmistress simultaneously closed the door and wrote the lesson on the chalkboard. Two students immediately had lit up grins.

"Nonverbal spells."

* * *

Much later on, the class was slowly practicing with their partners to light up a fire from paper shreds. Wendy and Laurel were having quite a difficult time as the former, chanting the word "intention" like a curse, was simply sending out red sparks out her wand. The latter, on the other hand, was completely blank and slightly pale from exhaustion.

"Take a break, yeah? Tell me when you want to go to Madame Pomfrey." Rose said, lighting up her paper shreds for the umpteenth time.

"Come on, I know I said I wanted records to be broken this year, but I didn't mean my record of going to the infirmary just after three days of class."

"First day sounds like a better story to tell, though."

Laurel sighed and simply rest her head on the table, giving up on the task at hand. Rose patted her back as she allowed her eyes to wander to the other side of the room. While Wendy was still chanting like a cursed ghost, Lia was now concentrated with reading through a large leather book entitled "The Complete Guide to Stars and Constellations (Version 5)." 3 jars of burning paper lay in front of her.

_Are you kidding me? She's not even taking this class seriously!_

With a resounding clap, all the burning (well, mostly non-burning) jars disappeared with a _poof,_ and everyone directed their attention back to the headmistress. Laurel now raised her head, wiping drool off the side of her mouth, and muttered something about having to break her record after all.

"Well done for a first try, everyone. I'd like to commend both Miss Weasley and Miss Evernight for excellent work. It is quite obvious you are both very talented witches," she said, smiling at both of the students in turn. Rose smiled with her chin up high while Lia shyly nodded, burying her face a little deeper in her scarf. The headmistress then turned to Rose, giving a warm smile. "10 points to Gryffindor as Miss Weasley was the first to create a fire. Your mother would be very proud."

The students then started filing out of the room, with a few Gryffindors along with Albus, Scorpius, and Wendy giving Rose a thumbs up or smiling at her. As Rose began to pack up her stuff, Laurel clutched her head and groaned.

"I'll go ahead to the infirmary. You can go ahead to your next class."

"You'll be alright? Are you sure?"

"Yeah, no worries. See you at lunch," Laurel said, about to exit before deciding to linger for a bit and glancing at a packing Lia in the corner. The raven-haired girl was frowning and had her focused eyes on Rose as both packed their bags. Biting her lip, Laurel left the room with a slightly disapproving look.

After closing her leather bag, Rose was now on the way out of the room; that was when she felt her bag heat up — it was warm at first, then suddenly it became scorching hot. She flinched, letting go of the bag and dropping it to the floor. Quickly opening it, she found a small fire starting from within, starting to burn some of her papers. Minerva immediately approached the bag, waved her hand, and extinguished the fire. Unfortunately, some of her papers were completely burned and couldn't be spelled back to their original condition.

 _So much for advanced studying,_ Rose thought to herself, with tears starting to form in her eyes.

The headmistress' head immediately snapped to Lia on the other side of the room, who had a shocked face. Her mind registered what was about to happen as she opened her mouth.

"Miss Evernight, I understand that you are also a talented witch, maybe equally matched with Miss Weasley here," Minerva seriously stated, motioning to a grief-stricken Rose beside her. "But there is no need to practice this against your classmates."

"Headmistress, I didn't do it," the Slytherin said, seeming to know there was no use.

"5 points from Slytherin. And detention with me tonight."

"Headmistress, please—"

"And," Minerva said, walking towards Lia with an unreadable expression. "You will be partners with Miss Weasley for the rest of the year." At that, both girls' heads shot up, and they glared at one another. "Maybe that will teach you how to get along. Good day."

"But Mu—" The girl stopped herself and bit her tongue, not daring to look back at the look of surprise on the Headmistress' face. Grumbling, she ran out of the room, not before leaving Rose with a burying glance of slight hatred. Rose froze. She's never seen that look before, at least not from the usually soft-spoken Lia. Lia's eyes seemed to glow and sharpen before dulling out as she exited the room. Rose continued to pack her bags, bid goodbye to the Headmistress, and walked to her next class.

On the way there, she sighed in annoyance.

_What a great way to start the year._

* * *

_Dear Mum,_

_We had Headmistress McGonagall for Transfiguration today. Our professor, Professor Patil, had to attend to his family because of an Argenti incident. I heard from Albus that you're on the Argenti case as well. I'm not really surprised considering they probably need all hands on deck for the task. After all, it seems that it's only getting worse as time passes._

_I got Gryffindor 10 points today as I was the first to cast a nonverbal spell to burn paper. However, I'm now stuck with Lia Evernight for the rest of the year in Transfiguration because apparently, she tried burning my bag's insides to a crisp. Even worse, the headmistress seemed to have informed of the rest of our professors (we apparently share the same sheer number of classes) to pair us up or at least make us sit next to each other. Imagine that! A whole year stuck to her out of all people!_

_If you don't remember Lia, she's the one I said was sort of like a genius loner but turns out she's good friends with Wendy, too. I have to admit that it surprised me since she's not the type to do something of the sort —burning my bag, I mean. However, my suspicions were lifted with the hateful look she sent me afterward. She seems like a slightly different person from the Lia I know from the past years._

_Also, unfortunately, Laurel's still a weakling. I don't understand how someone so weak and sickly could be so good at Quidditch. She beat her record back in 4th year, which was to go to the infirmary after the 3rd day; now, her record's at an all-time low of being defeated on the 1st day of classes. Poor girl, really._

_Aside from that, nothing much has happened. Hugo's still a big eater, Albus and Scorpius are still disgustingly sweet, and Lily's still mischievous._

_I terribly miss your lullabies. Looking forward to your next letter._

_With love,_

_Rose_

* * *

_Dear Rose,_

_Sorry for the late response. I'm glad you're doing well._

_You miss my lullaby? You're in your 6th year, Rose Weasley. Aren't you too old for that? You still want to listen to an old hag sing about golden heart pieces and silver tears? Maybe I'll send a recording of myself... should I send a Howler for the whole of Hogwarts to hear during breakfast? Just kidding._

_I promise I read your last letter. Whenever you talk about Hogwarts, I get nostalgic as I inevitably look back on my own years there — the classes, the halls, the lessons, and the fun. Don't be stuck with your books and readings. There are loads of exciting things to discover every year, and I hope you keep an eye out for them._

_This probably applies to your new friend, Lia. I hope you do get along with her; it's better to have an equal who supports you rather than is against you. Besides, I've heard from Minerva that she's, beyond a talented witch, actually a shy and kind soul. Be patient with her. Give her a chance._

_I might have to take up my own advice, honestly. I was quite surprised to find out that your Aunt Fleur is my neighbor. The world works in mysterious ways, doesn't it? Of course, she still infuriates me, and the mere sight of her makes my blood boil. But... I'll try getting along. On the bright side, when you move here next year, you'll have loads of time to spend with her. I know how much you're fond of her, after all._

_With regards to the Argenti case, I'm honestly pulling my hair out for this one. It feels like somebody's blocking out all my wits when I feel like I feel remotely close to a find. Also, I feel bad because I left all the work with Victoire back at the department. I know she's a capable witch, and she said not to worry about it. But I technically left the department in her hands for months, came back for half a day, then shoved the work back in her hands. I'm sure she'll be having fewer dates with Teddy because of this, which I feel terrible for._

_As I write this, I'm getting ready for bed and dreading the nightmares that are inevitable to come. Hopefully, it's one of those shallow ones. Anyways, I'm pretty much settled in and alright._

_Awaiting your next letter as well. I miss you very much, darling._

_Love,_

_Mum_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hoping the plot's becoming more interesting for you guys! If you want to dm me, I'm kkujjae#0670 on Discord. I'm on the Fleurmione server, too :>


	8. Morning Puzzles

Ever since after the war, Hermione was accustomed to waking up every day with nightmares boggling her head. Her morning routines always started with either jolting up from the bed in a cold sweat with an accelerated heartbeat, sobbing while her chest heaved and shook uncontrollably, screaming hysterically with her arms flailing, or blankly staring into nothingness for a good couple of minutes.

Everyone else, Harry and Ron included, thought that the nightmares came after the war. They couldn't blame them, considering they themselves had to face their own close to every night after Voldemort was defeated. However, while the other two slowly started drifting off to better nights, Hermione's terrors continued to haunt her. No matter how much she ran, she could never outrun them.

She never admitted it to her former husband either — that her nightmares never started after the war. No, the first incident started much earlier, particularly right before her 3rd year. However, the nightmares were shallower and bearable, almost as if they were building up in gravity over time. It seemed that her nightmares climaxed in intensity by the time she was married, much to the chagrin of her then-husband.

At first, he was understanding. He'd accompany her to the therapist on his days off as an auror, encourage her with kind words, hold her hand from across the table, and hold her in his arms when she stared blankly. But such routines, Hermione realized, were superficial; they only became visible when they were in public — when bystanders were watching, when cameras were hiding to snap shots of the "Golden Couple," or when his family was present. In the dead of the night when she needed him most, as her tears fell like waterfalls and her breathing became shallow, he ignored her cries and simply turned his back to go return to sleep.

But honestly still, Hermione can never give a proper reason as to why the divorce happened. Maybe it was partly this that caused the divorce. This, along with nonstop unhealthy banters during the day that emptied her inside and out for weeks and long and loud fights lasting days, when she reflected upon her life. Banging doors and back-and-forth shouts would fill the day at times, and she'd have to comfort her children who hid in the corner of their rooms. She willed herself to think that a divorce would only end in agony, that she had to be what everyone expected her to be — a mother, a Minister, and a good wife.

Every little thing added up like an endless pile in Hermione's brilliant mind, and like an overflowing container, everything inevitably poured out in bursts one day.

All she knew was that one morning, she woke up, with fresh tears and reddened eyes. Staring at the woman she had become in the mirror, she no longer found herself; instead, she felt a newfound depth of loneliness and emptiness in her heart.

 _What's happened to you_? Hermione would ask herself, looking into her own eyes and searching for an answer. Maybe she could find one more reason to hold on to in the little life left in her eyes.

No reply ever came.

* * *

Hermione's phone _beeped_ in alarm.

The sun's rays were sifted by the curtains as light slowly poured into the room. The brunette's curls were left untamed and sprawled out across her face, as her arms were outstretched on either side of her body. A pillow, which probably fell during the night, was left on the floor of the bed. After the second cycle of beeping, Hermione tapped her phone off and slowly got up. Yawning, the Golden Girl covered her mouth then stretched upwards, then releasing a satisfied sigh. She had an extremely good dream, that was for sure. Although she could not for the life of her remember anything about it.

Her eyes shot open, as she clutched the comforter around her.

_That was the best sleep I've had in ages! Decades even! How?_

Paranoid and frantic, Hermione scrambled out of her head and almost fell headfirst to the floor. She grabbed her wand and immediately performed a few check-up spells on herself, inspecting herself for anything out-of-the-ordinary. After minutes of casting every spell she could think off the top of her head, that's when she felt it. Something was amiss.

Trying to calm her slightly quivering hand, she placed her wand towards her head and gently pulled it away from herself. A glowing silver aura emerged from her forehead. Hermione gasped in utter surprise. The silver was glowing so brightly, unlike any other aura or spell she's seen; it was almost blinding. At the same time, the silver string of misty light filled her with warmth when she touched it — warm in the sense that her insides were light and she felt nothing weighing her down, almost as if she was living the most joyful life.

Away from all of this — a promise of a new life maybe.

That's when the light flew back into her. Confused, Hermione once again tried pulling the silvery mist out of her head, but no matter what she did, it would keep returning to her head. At one point, she tried forcefully extracting it, with both her hands on her wand, but the light was too strong as it seemed to have a magnetic pull. With a powerful return to Hermione, she was pushed back to the head of her bed with a large _thud._ Not even the most powerful witch of her age could remove it, it seemed.

Giving up her efforts, Hermione hit her head back to the wall in frustration, groaning in pain. What kind of a sick joke was this? There was a silvery light inside her that attached to her like a moth to a flame? She's checked on herself countless times over the years, and this has never appeared before.

 _Someone spelled me, that's what this is,_ Hermione thought aloud, standing up and now pacing back and forth across her room.

The more she thought about it, the more unclear the whole situation became. She had no logical reason for it, but a small voice in her head was repeatedly telling her that the light was a friend, not a foe. _But why appear now out of all times?_

She was now outside her room. Seeing the delivered box on the table, she opened it up and placed the coffee maker beside the flower vase. She took out the instructions manual and after a few minutes of reading, put it down and flopped onto the couch. She closed her eyes for a few minutes and basked in the moments of peace she otherwise would not have had were it any other day. Usually, she would still be blank on her bed or breathing in and out to calm herself down from shaking.

Her eyes drifted to the papers on the floor. She still hadn't cleaned them up from the night before. Having a sudden thought, she straightened her back, stood up, and raced back to her room, grabbing her phone from her side table. She immediately shot Harry a text.

_"Harry, good morning. Sorry to disturb you so early in the morning, but would it be possible to use a Pensieve to view one of the Argenti's memories? I want to confirm something. - Hermione"_

She put her phone down and was about to change her clothes when her phone beeped. She snapped her head back and opened her phone once more. There was a reply.

_"Of course. Anything to help you out, we'll deliver. I'll update you when everything's ready. - Harry"_

She chuckled. The man probably had his phone on his person at all times if he replied this quickly. Putting down her phone, Hermione remained seated, furrowed her brows, and collected her thoughts. _What I encountered was more of a solid aura of light, although it had a misty element to it._ She unconsciously held her chest, feeling the thumping of her heart.

_It held great warmth. I'd honestly do anything to feel that again._

She shook out of her sentimental thoughts and forced herself to become rational, thinking back to what she knew of the Argenti. They had lost parts of their memories, and a silvery mist surrounded the missing fragments. The substance of silver may be slightly different, but if she saw at least a little bit of resemblance in terms of their shine or glow, then the two may be connected.

_I'm having this right after the latest Argenti surge, which might also explain the timing._

With newfound confidence that she might finally have a lead, Hermione dressed into an olive cashmere sweater and skinny jeans, changed into a pair of white sneakers, and looked at the clock. It was currently 6:32 am, the perfect time to walk to the nearby park. Last night, she was pessimistic about the coming days with her impossible case and transition into living alone. However, things were finally looking up for once, and with hope in her heart, Hermione thought to herself, this day might turn into a wonderful one after all.

* * *

Her day was quite ruined by 6:38.

On one of the benches facing towards her sat a slightly annoyed Fleur wearing a loose white shirt, denim shorts, and a pair of flip-flops. Her hair was tied up into a messy bun with a few loose strands sprouting about like weeds. Except they didn't look like weeds. They looked more like strands of gold, especially against the glistening sunlight that shone upon parts of her, accenting some parts of her high cheekbones.

If it were any other individual examining the blonde, they would probably be admiring her or even openly gawking at her beauty. However, Hermione Granger was an exception to the rule — probably an extreme exception considering the complete 180-degree reaction she had to the French woman. Just the mere sight of her infuriated the brunette, and truthfully, she didn't have a good reason as to why. Sure, they fought and argued, but the arguments were never as bad as her worst ones with Ron. The arguments were also quite logical and reasonable as they always discussed more complex matters. No, Hermione Granger for the life of her couldn't understand why her in-law angered her to the point of insanity.

She couldn't turn around and return to her apartment either. The blonde's eyes already fell on the now conscious Hermione who, not knowing where to put her hands, now had her hands in her pockets. Grudgingly, Hermione moved towards Fleur and sat beside her on the bench, not escaping the small booklet beside the French witch. Upon closer inspection, she realized it was a sudoku book.

"You use sudoku books?" Hermione asked in disbelief. She was quite impressed as she didn't know any other wizards or witches who, without muggle influence, knew about sudoku books. Fleur Delacour was the last person she'd expect to know about sudoku books, given her mostly pompous and influential background, both among wizards and veelas.

The blonde sported a faint blush on her cheeks, picking the book up and mindlessly flipping through its pages. It seemed that Fleur was showing off the number of puzzles she's solved, given that she had only around 6 pages of puzzles left to finish. Hermione slightly smiled at the gesture.

"Eet is a secret pleasure of mine," Fleur remarked, with Hermione noting the embarrassed expression the other sported, made even more obvious with the slip of her French accent. Hermione allowed herself to chuckle and smile. Then, she frowned when a slight flame burned within her, igniting a wave of simmering soft anger that threatened to expose itself considering Hermione's furrowed brow and forming scowl.

_What on earth's wrong with me? She hasn't even done anything this time!_

Closing her eyes momentarily, she breathed in and out, chanting the mantra that seemed to almost always calm herself down. "One is true silver, two are golden, and three are bronze," she thought, not realizing that she said it aloud as the blonde witch looked at her in wonder.

"What did you say?"

"Oh," Hermione said, slightly red from being heard. "It's nothing. It's just something I say to calm myself down."

"You're not calm? Am I making you nervous?" Fleur asked haughtily, affixing a stray strand of hair to the back of her right ear.

"What?" Hermione was now fully red with widened eyes. "No, I mean. I'm just not feeling really well. I've been thinking about a lot of things lately," she said, inwardly smacking herself in the head for such a lame excuse. _Great going, Granger. Now she knows something's definitely wrong._

Fleur remained silent, filling up yet another sudoku page and starting with the top left box. After adding 3 numbers, Fleur put down her pen and turned back to Hermione. Expecting a probing question or response, Hermione was pleasantly surprised to Fleur's change in subject.

"That line. Where did you get it?"

"It's a bedtime story I used to tell Rose," she recounted, tilting her head as if reminiscing old memories. She remembered animatedly telling the story to an excited Rose by the fireplace, with the child on her lap going back and forth to the fireplace as they ate roasted marshmallows on sticks from a paper bag. She felt a warm smile slowly adorn her face. "She'd tell me to keep retelling the story of the 'Tale of the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Birds' whenever I was free from work. I would have loved to read directly from the storybook containing the bedtime story, but I couldn't find it anymore."

She returned her gaze back to a wistful Fleur whose lips were slightly forward in contemplation. "That's nice, non?" Fleur said after a few seconds of silence. "I remember the times I sang lullabies to Victoire, Dominique, and Louis. Those little rascals were hard to put to sleep, you know?"

Hermione laughed at the thought of an exhausted Fleur chasing her children around Shell Cottage, knowing fully well how fast Louis and Dominique ran when they were much younger. Victoire, although not the runner type, was much more talkative and loud. The brunette could only wish she could witness such a scene of Fleur tending to her children.

Her head unexpectedly started aching again.

"I swear, my mind's been wrecked the past few days," Hermione ranted, breathing unevenly. Fleur looked at her in concern and held the brunette's face, looking alarmed and afraid.

"I'm alright. I'm alright. Let's talk about something else. I think talks of motherhood is making my headache," she joked, tightly shutting and opening her eyes repeatedly.

Fleur let go of Hermione but still looked at her in concern, her eyes never leaving the brunette. "How's Victoire at the department? She tells me she's doing well, but she can be quite the troublemaker. I'd like to ask her boss for firsthand feedback." She paused and raised a brow. "But I want an objective answer, not one from an overly fond Aunt Hermione."

Hermione smiled and waved her hand to dispel Fleur's sentiments. "And an objective report you shall get. Oh, she's doing exceptionally well, Fleur," she said fondly. "You have no need to worry. She's quite literally steering the wheel of my department, and she's so passionate about her work. If you could only listen to when she speaks. She is quite incredible."

"I have had enough of her talking, honestly. The job is passed to Teddy."

Both women laughed heartily. They were soon interrupted by a little boy approaching them, with his gaze entirely fixed on Hermione. As he approached closer though, his gaze fell equally on both women.

"You're —you're Hermione Granger! You're one of the heroes my Mum talks about!"

She examined the little boy's attire; the latest Adidas pair of shoes and trendy sports shirts of a local football team caught her eye. She deduced that this child had at least one muggle parent, probably his father judging from what the boy exclaimed.

The boy turned to Fleur.

"And... you are?"

Fleur smirked and pointed to herself. "Me? Little boy, you don't know who you are talking to." Straightening her back and adjusting her bun, she said in her most dramatic voice, "I also fought in the war. Plus... I'm a quarter veela."

The boy's eyes widened in response. "You're a veela? Mum told me about them once! So you can transform and sprout wings? You can shoot fireballs? You can make a nation of men bow down at your feet? And she used the word... seduce? So you sedu—"

"Non, non!" the red French witch interrupted with beet-red cheeks, casting an annoyed look a Hermione who burst into uncontrollable giggles. She sighed and wiped the forming sweat on her forehead. "I'm only a quarter-veela. So I can do those things only to an extent, not fully. Transform, but not completely. Do you understand?"

The boy nodded twice.

"Good. Now go tell your mum that she has to get her veela facts straight."

"Alright, bye!" The boy said, about to walk away when he turned back to the two witches.

"Can I hug you two?"

Before Hermione could reply, Fleur hugged the little boy tightly in her arms as the boy laughed aloud. The brunette was stunned at the joyful Fleur, unwilling to look away from the unexpected scene of the quarter-veela ruffling the boy's hair and whispering kind words before pinching his cheek. She was shaken out of her stupor as the boy soon approached her with open arms as well.

Looking at Fleur and receiving a warm smile in return, Hermione opened her arms for the boy to hug her tightly. Unconsciously, she smelled a familiar scent on the boy, something akin to a mix of a sea breeze and fresh linens, coupled with a dash of parchment, a hint of smoke, and a trace of what she could only recognize as perfume. She felt her face heat up slightly.

_Damn this perverted mind, if you're not thinking about cursing Fleur Delacour, you think about her scent. Damn you!_

Nevertheless, she couldn't help but feel warmth similar to the feeling she felt this morning, as she felt her cheeks pull into a likewise warm smile. She watched the now faraway boy, enlivened by his interactions, recount what happened to an older lady, presumably his mother. Hermione then turned to a nonchalant Fleur who merely shrugged, already halfway to finishing her current puzzle. The sun was rising, the air was crisp with a morning breeze, and she had hugged a little boy whispering thank you before he shyly ran away.

It was a wonderful day after all.


	9. Knights

Rose, Laurel, and Kento Mamura, another Gryffindor their age with curly black locks, were all gathered around a table at the library, with only the first being engrossed in her books. The latter two were playing chess, not Wizarding Chess, as Rose said it was "too barbaric" to play in the library and would disturb people who would actually want to study. Rose hence lent them her muggle set. At the moment, Kento was cornering and overpowering a silent Laurel whose King was only protected by a rook. The Japanese wizard currently had 10 pieces left, with almost all his pieces intact. On the other hand, Laurel had a few scanty pieces spread across the board, none protected.

The only sounds that could be heard from the table were the flipping of pages as well as the colliding of wooden pieces with the board. After a few short minutes, Kento furrowed his brow and bit his lip.

"Bishop to F2."

"Mamura," Laurel snapped, tapping the board twice, and threw a dead pawn at him; the poor boy raised his hands in defense. "For the last time, we're playing muggle chess, not Wizarding Chess."

Rose frowned, closing her book after bookmarking the page she was on, then gingerly holding Laurel's arm. She noticed that her friend was unusually stiff and slightly warm. At Rose's touch, Laurel flinched away and paled. Her eyes dodged Rose's pair as much as possible, no matter how much Rose tried searching for them.

"Laurel, are you alright? You're acting weird. You're not usually this snappy."

Laurel reddened, completely obvious with her pale face. She gulped, looking at her now concerned opponent as he placed his knight to F2. Turning to Rose, she leaned in and bashedly whispered, averting her eyes.

"It's that time of the month."

"Ahh," Rose began, laughing at the top of her lungs while slapping Laurel in the back twice. Laurel reddened further, looking around if anybody else nearby heard them, sighing in relief when she ensured nobody did. On a nearby table, Albus and Scorpius were too busy flirting by a large table, books long forgotten.

"Nothing to be ashamed about. Just go to Madame Pomfrey again. Come on, I could even take you."

"Are you serious? It's literally the second day of classes and I'm going to go there again?!"

"Stop being a prat, and go to the infirmary already. You haven't taken any pills have you?"

"No."

"Then let's go," Rose said with finality. As she packed her things as well as Laurel's, she stood up with Laurel in tow. Before she was able to pull Laurel towards the exit, her sick friend all of a sudden sat back down and moved her last knight to the end of the board.

"Checkmate."

Then she hurriedly pulled Rose towards the exit while chuckling, leaving a dumbstruck Kento on the table, who examined all the pieces again in wonder. His brows shot up, and with a bellowing voice, screamed, flipping the chess table up and off the table with the pieces flying in different directions.

"You colossal idiot! The bishop doesn't move that way!"

The unfortunate boy was kicked out of the library.

* * *

"Useless Weasley, how do your parents even look at you and call you their son?"

"Yeah, you're such dead weight in the family. While your sister's topping her classes and challenging your mum's title, what are you doing, huh?"

"I bet they talk about you behind your back, too."

Hugo Weasley was now cornered in one of the more secluded parts of the castle. The younger Weasley was supposed to meet his sister in the library, but he was blocked on the way there. A group of Ravenclaws in their 5th year dragged him to a much quieter and less populated hallway away from prying eyes. This was what he was fearing: the endless days of bullying and cornering. The bullying came in many forms, whether it be through sabotage of his belongings, exploding letters, randomly appearing hexes, and like the present scenario, physical cornering.

This was what he personally hated the most, and he only hoped it would happen at least a week into the year. Unfortunately, it was only the second day.

_Bloody hell, I haven't mastered the defensive spell Rose taught me yet._

Initially, he allowed his sister to protect him, but that only escalated the number of threats and attacks he received. Hence, he told Rose to mostly leave him alone, except for when the bullying became too threatening. That was when he would tap the locket within his shirt to call for help from his sister. This tapping motion would warm the locket around her neck, alerting her even from miles away. The siblings made the pair of devices in the past summer, as Rose charmed a pair of lockets Hermione bought for them from years ago.

"Why aren't you answering, little Hugo? Your sister isn't here to save you?"

Hugo gulped. The three towering figures in front of him were getting ahead of themselves. From experience, things were only about to get worse. As one pulled out his wand, the boy brought out his own, not knowing what spell to cast or where to move.

_Oh Merlin, just no bruises, please._

He closed his eyes and braced for impact... but the impact never came.

Hugo opened his eyes to a surprising sight; the three Ravenclaws were frozen in a full-body bind, except ice was growing in different areas of their body. His eyes drifted to a flash of green and silver from the end of the secluded hallway. Grabbing his bag, he stared the bullies in the eyes and calling on his best acting, mocked satisfaction.

"I've learned a lot over the summer, boys. Do you want more?"

He flicked one of their foreheads, ignoring the inner nervousness he felt. The three's eyes were petrified as they, unable to physically move, verbally shook their heads through their grunts and cries. Hugo noticed some parts of the ice starting to melt, unnoticed by his attackers.

"There's much worse I can do, you got that?" He said with a sneer. He even tapped his wand on their heads for better effect. "The ice will thaw in a few moments, but if you ever come close to me ever again, I'm not allowing it to thaw next time, you got that?"

Grabbing his bag, he pretended to walk casually away and even whistled a tune, before racing down the next corner and seeking the flash of green he caught a glimpse of just moments ago. Scampering down another hallway, he found the laughing figures of Lia and Wendy as they walked down the hall.

"Bloody hilarious that was! Lia, I can't believe you could do both wandless and wordless. An elemental type of full-body bind at that!" Hugo heard Wendy exclaim, punching Lia in the [shoulder](http://shoulder.In). A few of Wendy's quills fell from her hands, and she scrambled to pick them up.

"You clumsy witch!" Lia exclaimed.

Lia was about to continue jokingly when she noticed Hugo in the corner of her eye staring at them. She then turned to him and put up a silencing finger to her lips, winking, then helping Wendy pick her books up. Hugo stood frozen in place, unable to mouth the words thank you from his mind. He soon lost his chance as the two quickly walked in the opposite direction, still pushing one another in laughter.

* * *

On the way down to the infirmary, Laurel started swaying from side to side as she clutched onto Rose for support. Rose had to admit; her friend slowly became quite heavy the more Laurel grew weaker. She slowed the pair's walk as she dragged her sickly friend. Across the hallway, she found striding towards them as they went in the opposite direction, Wendy and Lia who were still shoving one another and laughing.

"Did you really have to do an ice bind? You could have just knocked them over like this!"

"Oh, like this?"

The Slytherin pair took no notice of the other approaching pair. Hence, when the two pairs were in close proximity, Wendy accidentally pushed Lia too hard. She in turn roughly collided with the Gryffindor pair, effectively knocking the three of them down.

Rose was about to raise hands in fury, about to shove Lia off a close-to-fainting Laurel sprawled out on the floor. "Evernight, what in Merlin's name are you doing?!"

Lia ignored Rose's cries, seeming to fixate on Laurel's eyes. The raven-haired girl parted the blonde's stray strands of hair, aiming to scrutinize the latter's eyes. Upon closer inspection, Lia's eyes widened. She stayed rooted in place, and her eyes scanned Laurel up and down. Rose repeatedly tried pulling and pushing the Slytherin off her best friend, but it was to no avail.

"Get off, you fire-casting, blood-curling, Gryffindor-attacking — woah!"

Rose was forced to step back. With something akin to superhuman strength, Lia brought Laurel close to her chest and carried her upwards. Rose was flabberghasted while Wendy was just point-blank lost. However, Lia was not to be deterred as she wandlessly and wordlessly checked for the sickly girl's temperature.

"42 degrees!" She exclaimed, immediately turning to Laurel.

"You — you just did that both wandlessly and wordlessly," Rose remarked, her voice decreasing in volume as she incredulously looked at her rival.

"I don't care!" Lia retorted impatiently. Her mind was pacing back and forth; that was for sure. Lia knew the signs when the cogs in the raven-haired girl's mind was turning, which was when she bit her lower lip, scrunched her nose, and furrowed her brows.

The signs were all quite obvious, except now Lia's lip was starting to bleed from the intense bite she gave it.

"Rose," Lia said not a moment later. Rose snapped to attention. "Do you trust me?"

"What?!"

"I asked if you trust me. Be—because I'm going to help your friend, but you're going to have to trust me."

Rose hesitated. Why on earth would she trust her rival who just yesterday burned the papers within her bag? She thought back to the angry expression the Slytherin gave her yesterday. Then, to the letter from her mother, which she read at breakfast this morning.

_Give her a chance._

Weighing her options and observing the now desperate look on the Slytherin's face, she sighed. _Mum, this is going to be your fault if I'm wrong about this._

"I trust you."

Lia breathed a sigh of relief, nodding. The Slytherin looked back down at her arms and with a resolute gaze, continued. "I won't take her to Madame Pomfrey, but I know exactly what will help her. I'll take her there, alright?"

Rose forcefully nodded, trying to ignore the sowing doubt at the back of her mind.

Without a second thought, Lia took off at an unbelievable speed away from the pair in the direction of the dungeons. After a few minutes of running, she was below ground level and only a few steps from the Slytherin common room entrance. Unbeknownst her, the younger Weasley was hot on her heels, seeking his savior to properly show gratitude for the huge favor.

He realized the raven-haired girl was carrying a rapidly paling Laurel, much to his surprise. Recognizing the path as only going in the direction Slytherin common room, his mind whirred in confusion.

_Why is she carrying Laurel to the Slytherin common room?_

Lia turned the last corner leading to the common room, and Hugo, right behind her, followed her as he as well turned the last corner. Expecting a cornered Lia, he was shocked to find a dead-end with nobody in sight. He found a few Slytherins exiting the dungeons and mustering a bit of courage, quickly questioned them.

"Is Lia there? Can you call her out? I'd like to speak with her."

The group of Slytherins looked at each other in confusion. One of the Slytherins his age answered.

"I heard she was going to the library to meet Albus and Scorpius. I'm pretty sure she was on the way there with Wendy."

Hugo froze in bafflement before quickly thanking the group. He stood there still staring at the dead-end. There weren't supposed to be any secret passages in this area. _Where the hell did she go?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any thoughts or theories? Would love to hear 'em :>


	10. Favors

Her lungs were burning and aching for air as her feet ramped up to running at full speed. Hermione was being pulled by an arm forwards, A cold pitch-black mist was quickly spreading behind her, almost as if wanting to envelop her in its depths. Another figure was running in front of her, pulling the Golden Girl forward in haste and desperation. They were muttering to themselves as they looked in all directions.

"Left, right, right. Gods, Alouette, protect us. This wasn't supposed to happen!"

The voice was neither masculine nor feminine. Whenever Hermione would squint to better recognize the other individual, her head felt like it would split open. Furthermore, the other body was covered in an otherworldly silver glittery mist. Unexplainable twinges of sadness crept into her heart as her mind almost completely blanked out in panic.

Hermione realized that they were in the heart of London, as she took in the view of the familiar structures around her. Night had fallen, and a full moon was up, illuminating the city in an almost ethereal glow. There was a great congestion of people as the pair struggled to go through and move past the blockage of individuals who clustered in every area. It seemed the crowd paid no mind, or they didn't even seem to recognize, the impending danger of the black mist. They merely continued to walk about and chatter as if it were a regular day, with some disappearing to the quickly approaching mist.

For a few more minutes, the pair raced through the city with the mist hot on their heels. Her companion kept turning corners and taking unlikely turns into smaller alleyways, but the mist seemed to know where its targets were. Hermione started slowing in exhaustion, and she knew that her companion was feeling similarly, hearing the heaves of breath the other let out erratically. Hermione was pulled once more out of sheer desperation.

At one point, her companion stopped abruptly, with Hermione almost crashing into them in surprise. The Golden Girl found another large clump of mist on the opposite side, which was supposedly where they were heading. As the mist started closing in on them on both sides, devouring the crowds of people, the pair sought for another exit, any other way to escape the mist. Hermione knew there was simply no escape.

The other figure spun around, and to Hermione's slight irritation, was still unrecognizable, even more so that the silver mist covering her companion started seeping out in excess. Without warning, the other individual encircled their arms around Hermione, surrounding her in a tight hug and placing their head burrowed into Hermione's neck. Their arms were shaking uncontrollably, and Hermione felt tears touch her neck as her companion sniffled.

Not knowing what to do, Hermione hugged her companion back and soothed their back, whispering, "Shhh, it'll be alright. It'll be alright." She repeated, not quite believing her own words as the mist inched closer and closer by the minute. They were only around a block away from the mist on either side.

Her companion brought their head back and cupped Hermione's cheek, allowing their forehead to touch with Hermione's. Hermione felt warmth start spreading within her, even as the cold black mist forced itself to be known.

"I'm sorry," she heard her companion whisper.

"Don't be." Hermione replied sincerely, feeling for and cupping the other's cheek through the silver mist, feeling a tear slip down her own face. She didn't know where her tears and words were coming from; she only knew that they felt right while this scenario felt entirely wrong.

The other individual stayed silent for a moment as they placed their hand on Hermione's head. The two remained in silence as the mist was now only a few feet away from the pair. Hermione closed her ryes, seemingly resigning to her fate. Then, her companion, with a slow and forced intake of breath, unsteadily whispered.

"Elavo."

Then Hermione felt ice-cold, and everything turned silvery white.

Hermione woke up with a jolt. Before she could register what just occurred, a great feeling of despair and sadness washed over her; she bent over and clutched the sheets — her body wracked with uncontrollable sobs, chest heaving, eyes shut closed and raw and hellish screams echoing throughout the apartment.

* * *

Close to half an hour later, Hermione had calmed down considerably, albeit she was still trembling and held her chest. She slowed her breathing to a stable pattern, inwardly chanting, _One is true silver, two are golden, and three are bronze._

With a slightly clearer mind, she recounted her dream. To her surprise, she vividly recalled everything that occurred — the streets, the crowds, the black mist, and her mystery companion. The emotions she felt in the dream felt so real, and these flooded her once more as Hermione hyperventilated and had sharp intakes of breath.

This by far has been the most violent reaction she's had to a dream, which was obviously made worse by her, for the first time ever, remembering what she dreamt of. This confused Hermione to no end as she experienced many firsts in just the past few days of moving into a new apartment. Her thoughts drifted back to the silvery mist concealing her dream's companion, and her eyes widened in realization — another Argenti link. Questions endlessly filled her mind, as fragments of the dream returned to consciousness.

_Who was that figure?_

_What was that black mist?_

_Why am I reacting so violently?_

_I've never heard of that spell... "Elavo?" Is it some sort of escape spell?_

Hermione checked herself for anything out of the ordinary, especially looking for any silver strings. After a few rounds of checks, she found none. Frustrated, she sighed. It seemed that the number of questions only grew as the days passed. She was getting quite impatient.

Afterward, she checked for any follow up texts from Harry, to which she was sorely disappointed by the lack of update. She was sure the Auror Office was still in an uproar until now. With the unbelievable surge of Argenti in the past few days, the office was certainly lacking in manpower in terms of rounding up Argentis, questioning them, analyzing their memories, obliviating witnesses, tracking magical signatures, and coordinating with other Ministries worldwide.

Hermione's thoughts were interrupted by the vibration of her phone. Checking it, she was pleasantly surprised that Harry was able to give an update.

_"I found some willing Argenti and secured the magical materials needed for the memory viewing. I'll just set a date by this week and update you. By the way, are you home today? - Harry"_

Hermione raised a brow and quickly texted a response.

_"Brilliant, I'm free this week. Also, yes I'm home today. Why do you ask? - Hermione"_

After waiting a few minutes and deciding that Harry wasn't going to text back in a while, Hermione straightened her back, stretched, then got up. She fixed the bedsheets, which became unsecured from the bed's sides, probably due to Hermione's violent reactions during her slumber. Then, she picked up the fallen pillows and folded her blanket. Hermione walked out of her room and straightened the now wet white silk robe she wore. She washed her face, staring at the puffy eyes that stared back at her. After freshening up, she determinedly pep talked herself to start the day.

Moments later, she was back on the couch and sifting through the files once more. Consciously changing her approach, she tried looking for discrepancies and differences rather than similarities between the Argenti. Maybe a fresh perspective could help her gather more information. Although she had leads with the silver mist and silver light in her dream and within her head respectively, she wanted to be equipped with as much information as possible before meeting with Harry tomorrow.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted her reading. She quickly stood up and walked towards the door. At her feet by the door lay envelopes from Rose and her parents, probably slid in by Fleur. On top of the envelopes lay a small piece of paper with a note in elegant cursive handwriting.

"Here are your letters. Courtesy of your beautiful neighbor," Hermione read aloud.

 _Argh, why do my letters keep ending up going to her apartment?_ Hermione inwardly questioned, picking the envelopes up and placing them on a nearby drawer, making a mental note to get back to them later. She opened the door and was pleasantly surprised to find two people she was quite delighted to see. She couldn't contain a bright smile.

"Harry, Ginny! What are you two doing here?"

The Potters stood by the door, with Harry who wore a plain blue polo shirt and dark gray pants beneath a black overcoat and black loafers as well as carried a suitcase with his left hand. Ginny on the other hand wore a flowing white cotton dress and a brown coat paired with black stilettos. She carried a red leather handbag on her left and a small paper bag on her right, which she handed to Hermione, grinning. Hermione opened the bag and was happy to find a picture frame.

"We wanted to surprise you, and this was honestly the one day both of us were free," Ginny said, shaking her head and letting out a sigh.

"It was honestly so difficult. Both the Auror Office and The Prophet are quite hectic these days. I literally had to pause my sports editing to lend a hand with the daily news. Bloody Argenti!" The redhead threw her hands up.

Hermione invited the pair in, allowing them to change their shoes and settle on the couch. Hermione placed the bag with the frame on the dining table. Ginny's attention came to the large vase on the dining table as she appreciatively touched one of the roses. Harry raised a brow to the mess of pairs on the floor, to which Hermione reacted to by spelling the documents into a neat pile on the dining table.

"Beautiful flowers, Hermione," Ginny said. The woman looked around and smiled, obviously impressed with the apartment. "Your apartment is just wonderful. Unexpected honestly, but really nice."

"Thanks, Ginny." Hermione replied, leaning back on a wall and beaming. "I'm glad you like it. And the flowers were from Rose."

"And I see you've been busy with the Argenti case, too, " Harry added jokingly, sitting on the couch and leaning back. "As all of us are honestly."

Hermione nodded. After asking the couple if they'd prefer coffee, tea, or any drink then receiving their responses, she went into the kitchen and prepared a cup of English Breakfast for Ginny. Once she handed the cup over to the redhead, Hermione leaned on the nearby wall and made casual conversation with the couple, talking about the move, their children, amongst other light topics.

After a few moments, Harry hesitantly opened his case and took out many more papers, spelling them to be larger then handing them to Hermione. Hermione accepted them, sitting on the couch and casually browsing through them. They were more reports concerning the Argenti.

"I truthfully didn't want to mix in work with the visit, but..." The man trailed off and scratched his head, shrugging and biting his lip. Hermione chuckled, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You don't need to give a reason, Harry. The more information the better, honestly. I've been wracking my head on this case whenever I could."

"Well, don't think too hard."

A few seconds of silence passed as Hermione crossed her arms.

"How many yesterday, Harry?" she asked gently.

Harry breathed out a large sigh, fiddling with his hands and hanging his head low. Hermione thought that at this moment, Harry looked like he was probably in one of the most exhausted states she's seen in years. He glanced back at her then quickly stared back at his hands.

"11 worldwide."

Hermione shook her head, placing the stack of papers in her hands on the table. The daily numbers used to be in the single digits, never going past 8. As expected, the numbers increased after the great surge a few days ago. This was surely going to stress the Ministry by leaps and bounds.

"You've been tracking them through the pure carbon on their bodies?"

"Yeah, we've been utilizing the global tree by charming it with a tracking spell so that it alerts us when it detects the unique trace on the pure carbon."

"Wait, wait..." Ginny interrupted, leaning forward and raising a brow. "Global what?"

"The Global Tree, Ginny," Hermione explained, gladly launching into a mini-discussion. "It's like a large collated family tree of all the wizards and witches around the world, located on the floor of the Department of Mysteries. Aside from verification of lineages, the Ministry uses it when large-scale tracking is necessary. I actually find the whole system quite efficient."

Harry nodded and checked his watch. He slowly stood up, patting down his pants and coat. "Speaking of the Global Tree, I have to get to the Ministry. I can't believe it's been an hour already," he said, fixing his suitcase and walking towards the door.

"I'll leave you both to catch up, and I'm sorry I have to leave early," he added apologetically, grimacing and looking down then back at the 2 women. "I would have loved to stay longer. See you, Hermione. I'll text you."

Hermione waved her hand to dispel Harry's worries. "It's no problem. You're a busy auror after all. Catch some sleep when you can, too." To that, Harry smiled and chuckling, knowing it was probably not possible in the coming days.

After Harry exited the apartment, Hermione was about to stand and get herself a glass of water when she slightly screamed as Ginny immediately attacked her with a barrage of questions, eyes questioning and with a hint of worry.

"Hermione Granger, you should have told us about your marital issues much earlier! I swear, I'm not as patient as Harry in giving you space. I literally had a mini heart attacked when the owl suddenly brought in a letter from you saying, 'Hello everyone, Ronald and I just divorced today. I'll be moving back in with my parents tomorrow. Here's the address,' then you disappear without a trace without so much as a discussion with us?!"

Hermione winced and hugged herself unconsciously. Seeing this, Ginny softened her eyes and gave the brunette some space, holding a slightly regretful look but keeping her gaze fixed on Hermione. After Hermione breathed in and out, she looked back at Ginny and forced herself to smile slightly.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to come off that strong," the Potter muttered, hugging Hermione and sighing deeply.

"It's alright. I'll tell you everything maybe when you and Harry are free for... I don't know, half a day? I don't even know where to start."

"Take all the time you need," Ginny replied, attempting to disentangle some strands of Hermione's hair. The pair stayed like this for some time, reveling in the pleasant silence that settled.

"It's just..." Ginny interrupted later on, trailing off slightly and pursing her lips to a side. The redhead sipped the last bit of tea she had then placed it back on the table. "You're all alone here. I understand you going back to your family for a while, but would you be alright here? In a muggle area where no family or friends are near?"

Hermione couldn't hold back the laugh that escaped her lips. She covered her mouth and amusingly looked at a confused Ginny.

"Oh, Ginny. It completely slipped my mind to tell you. I should've brought it up a while ago when Harry was here, too." She turned in her seat such that her entire body was facing the redhead, leaning her head on an elbow by the couch. "You won't believe who my neighbor is."

Ginny raised a brow. "Who?"

"Fleur."

Ginny widened her eyes in total shock. "Fleur as in in Bill's Fleur?" She asked incredulously and with her mouth slightly open. She brought her head closer to Hermione as she continued. "Your neighbor is Fleur Delacour?"

"The one and only."

Ginny scoffed then slowly grinned, much to Hermione's puzzlement. "Well, that's great news. At least someone's nearby."

"Are you being completely serious right now?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I hate that Frenchwoman's very being. Every single time I see as much as a trace of her, my blood boils. Why in Merlin's name would this be great?" Hermione asked frowning. She leaned back and fixing her silk robe.

Ginny was frowning now, looking at Hermione as if the latter were a child. "Don't tell me you still actually feel the same as when we were kids. I understand that when we were much much younger, we were such childish prats — blaming and insulting her like the children we were." The redhead looked quite guilty, scrunching her nose and biting her lip. "And I get that you often debate with her a lot, and well, the two of you fight like there's no tomorrow. But do you really despise her that much? Even until now?"

At that, Hermione passively stared at the empty cups in front of her. She opened her mouth but closed it once more, not finding an appropriate and satisfactory reply. Did she really hate Fleur? She was very much sure of how the French witch got on her nerves and ignited an illogical hatred within her. But wasn't Hermione Granger out of all people supposed to be rational? _Why_ did she hate Fleur?

"It's a shame really. I think she admires you, Hermione."

At that, Hermione snapped her head to attention, finding a Ginny with raised brows. The Golden Girl's eyes stared disbelievingly.

"What? It's true! She might not show it to your face, but did you know that the reason why Victoire chose to work at your department is because of all the stories Fleur tells her children about you? She literally gloats and boasts about you every chance she could get, whether it be to her children, her co-workers, or any other wizard honestly... not in front of you of course."

It was an understatement to say that Hermione was shocked. No, she was quite unable to process or believe what Ginny was revealing. So was it just her who was being childish and hateful? Was she being unreasonable on the blonde quarter-veela? She thought about Victoire and her passionate ramblings about creatures, their rights, and their place in the wizarding world, easily taking up hours of delightful conversation. She thought of sweet Rose and her sincere fondness for her aunt as they talked about veela folklore at the rugged old couch at The Burrow. She thought of the smile on the little boy's face when Fleur hugged him at the park.

Hermione groaned loudly and buried her face in her hands, wishing to escape from the realization that yes, Hermione was probably... almost surely... most likely... being the stupidest most irrational individual. Anyone would think that the Smartest Witch of Her Age turned former Minister of Magic wouldn't have this problem. They would stand corrected.

Sensing Hermione's distress, Ginny caressed Hermione's back and patted her shoulders. They stayed in silence for a bit, before Ginny's face lit up as if a lightbulb flashed over her head.

"Tell you what. Go invite her to a girl's night out. You can go right now. It's literally the weekend," she suggested, rummaging through her bag and bringing out her phone. "I'm sure she'll appreciate one given the physical exhaustion she gets from working at Gringotts."

Ginny went through her phone, and after a few short types, Hermione heard the familiar sound of a notification resound from her room. She looked at Ginny questioningly as the redhead fixed her things and stood up.

"I texted you a nearby place. You should go invite her later." Ginny was about to talk to the door before spinning back around and sporting her best _you-better-do-this-or-else_ face while pointing a warning finger at the brunette. "You better not mess this up."

Hermione shook her head, laughing. "I won't, mother."

As Ginny excused herself and bid farewell, citing a meeting she had to attend to in half an hour, she changed her shoes and exited the apartment. Hermione sprawled herself on the couch, blankly staring at the ceiling and closing her eyes.

_Why must I always have issues with that blasted veela?_

Hermione just wanted to sleep again honestly. She wanted another good night's sleep like yesterday's by walking back to her bed, tucking in, and — wait a minute.

She opened her eyes in realization, jumping up then fumbling for her wand from within her sleeves. Waving her wand, she allowed all the papers from yesterday, along with the new ones from Harry, to crowd the floor once more. One by one, she scrutinized each paper with a newfound purpose, biting her lip and murmuring to herself. _Wizard, witch, elf, muggle, giant, faerie, vampire, werewolf, ogre, centaur._

For the next 2 hours, Hermione went through each page, mentally berating herself as she went along. After the whole area was clean of any mess, and the more than a thousand papers were stacked neatly on the table, Hermione stood up and walked out her apartment, not caring about changing to something more appropriate for the outside.

She knocked on Fleur's door and prayed to all the gods she was home. A few moments passed, and she started losing hope. However, thankfully, the gods were on her side this time. Hermione heard the sound of shuffling from inside the apartment.

Hermione watched the door open to an exhausted Fleur wearing a blue nightgown and had red puffy eyes. _Had she been crying?_ Hermione asked herself, allowing the blonde to collect herself.

Shaking herself out of her thoughts, Hermione concernedly checked on Fleur.

"Are you alright, Fleur?"

The blonde rubbed her eyes and uncharacteristically smiled sadly. "Yes, I'm alright. What did you need, Hermione?"

Hermione gulped. With the most determined look she could wear on her face, she prodded on. "I need your help. It's important."

Fleur raised a brow and looked back seriously. "What is it?"

"It's the Argenti case. I realized something this morning."

Fleur remained silent, nodding and urging Hermione to continue.

"All kinds of humans and beings appeared as Argenti."

"But...?"

"But there weren't any Veela."

"And so you need my help?"

"Yes," Hermione continued, losing hope as Fleur looked at her with distrustful eyes and crossed arms. "Look, I know I haven't been the kindest. And I've been a prat. And I've been so unreasonable towards you, and I honest-to-goodness don't even understand it either, alright?" Hermione winced at herself. She should have thought of what to say before rushing here.

"But...?" Fleur asked, slightly curious.

"Honestly, if this were any other favor, I wouldn't blame you if you just plainly walked away right now. But this is different.You don't have to do this for me. Do it for the others, for the rest of the world."

Fleur seemed lost in thought as something unrecognizable yet oddly familiar flashed her puffed-up eyes. She looked back at Hermione and forced an unnatural smirk — one that seemed hinted with pain and uncertainty.

"Non, I will not do it. Unless..."

"Unless what?" Hermione asked, slightly impatient but willing herself to be considerate. A favor was something she was willing to do if it meant getting another hand at this case... also considering that she wanted to be nicer to the blonde. She was willing to do close to anything.

"Tell me you need me."

"What?!" Hermione exclaimed, blushing and immediately at a loss for words.

"I don't really care about the world. I've offered a lot already," the blonde said, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers. "Tell me you need me, 'Ermione."

"You, you—" Hermione covered her mouth then tried containing the heat in her cheeks which threatened to reach her ears. She felt herself getting angry again but she can't lose this chance of a veela working on the case with her. However, she could see the clear and obvious satisfaction the quarter-veela was so-not-trying-to-hide. Reluctantly, she uncovered her mouth and with a shaky breath, replied.

"I need you, Fleur."

Fleur grinned like a happy child, turning back and slowly closing the door. "I'll be there in 5," she said, enjoying the reddening face of the brunette witch. Excruciatingly slowly, she closed the door while peeking on a Hermione who averted her gaze.

Once the door closed, the fizzled out Golden Girl immediately fell to a crouch and held her face in her hands.

_That unbelievably impossible witch!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the plot thickens! let me know what you think :> i'd love to hear your thoughts! (scuffles back to studying lol)


	11. Point of View

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woop buckle up

A few days had passed, and Laurel was nowhere to be found. No matter who Rose asked — student, teacher or even headmistress (Rose was quite annoyed that the headmistress merely smiled and walked away with a knowing glint in her eye) — nobody seemed able to provide her with the information she wanted concerning her friend. The person who took her friend away, Lia, was also unable to be found. Furthermore, no Slytherin seemed to genuinely know about the mysterious genius' whereabouts. This continued for days such that Rose was generally unable to sleep and unable to eat properly due to worry for her friend.

 _Was I wrong to trust Lia?_ She would repeatedly ask herself.

She was forced out of her thoughts as Wendy tapped her from her right, motioning at Professor Trelawney who was now standing up from her seat. She was currently about to begin her Divination class for the day.

"Don't worry about Laurel. Lia's got this," Wendy assured, opening her book and bringing out her quill.

"That's exactly why I'm worried!" Rose aggressively whispered from the other end of the table, squeezing her quill and looking at Wendy with concerned eyes. A seat was left in the middle as it was designated as Lia's seat.

"Have faith in her," Wendy said, patting Rose's arm. "She may be a Slytherin, but that girl is a loyal friend... did you know that girl almost got placed in Gryffindor?"

Rose frowned. _What? No way._

"Are you serious? I always thought she became a hatstall because she almost got placed in Ravenclaw."

"Well, you're not wrong either."

"Wendy, what are you talking about?" Rose asked, quirking a brow and leaning forward. She ignored Professor Trelawney's beginning rant about the impending doom of Hogwarts within the week.

Wendy shrugged. "She told me that the hat didn't know whether to sort her in Slytherin, Ravenclaw, or Gryffindor. That's why it took so long. In the end, the hat gave up and allowed her to choose. She said she chose Slytherin just to piss her mum off."

"Wha—? How do you even get considered for 3 houses? And what kind of an idiot chooses a house to piss their mum off?!"

"Be careful that, that idiot's right here."

As if almost on cue, Rose turned to Lia who was standing behind her. The Slytherin dragged her feet and brought back the seat on Rose's right. Rose's eyes widened while Lia, obviously quite exhausted given her unbrushed raven-black hair, dark circles, and never-ending yawns, put down her bag and hurriedly took out her books, papers and quill.

"Ah, lovely for you to join us Miss Evernight," Professor Trelawney said with a dreamlike gaze, putting up her hands for effect. Lia merely nodded then returned to look at Rose whose attention was completely on her, waiting for a reply.

"Well?"

"She's doing fine. I had one of the elves watch her while I attend class. We can go see her after this."

Rose, about to reply, was forced to bring her attention back to the class as the professor started the class. With a snap, she allowed a crystal ball to appear in front of each student, surprising many while the trio at the front merely raised their brows, examining the clear objects.

"Today, we'll be starting with checking who has the Sight, so that I can divide the class into the 'practitioners' and 'appreciators.' If you do not want to appreciate, you may drop the class. Nobody is forcing you to stay." Wendy, along with a few others, held back a snortle at the professor's words. Trelawney continued, ignoring the class. "I consulted with the headmistress, and we decided that this would be a more efficient way to not only gauge your innate abilities but also maximize your learning experience. After all, most of the topics and lessons to be covered in the coming years will be more practicing the higher forms of the art. Any questions?"

Nobody rose their hands. Rose looked around and only saw a handful of students, around 15 or so from the entire year. Why on earth would the professors want to discourage the exceedingly few students in the class? _Hogwarts, I will never understand you,_ she thought.

Truthfully, her parents had been quite confused when Rose brought up that she wanted to continue her studies in Divination. While Ron had nasty remarks about the buffoonery going on in the class, Hermione advised that Rose focus her efforts elsewhere, considering that she was taking every subject for her 6th year. She hated to admit it, but inwardly, the young Gryffindor only took the class to try her luck in beating Lia at her own specialty.

 _And now, she's taking care of your friend. Blasted turn of events this is,_ Rose thought, looking at a distracted Lia on her left who was fiddling with a small crease on one of her papers.

"I actually wanted you all to give a hand at creating actual prophecies, but the headmistress has expressed that it may be too difficult for you all. Hence, you have the rest of the class to call upon your pseudoprophecy, which is something relevant to your immediate future. These are not direct prophecies as they just point to something important rather than tell you what about it is important." The entire class looked at the professor as if she were crazed, with some retorting and complaining about the difficulty of the task. The professor simply hushed them, assuring them of this task being the 'only method through which the true Seers can be picked out.'

An hour later and the class was still struggling with their difficult task. Most of the class had either completely transparent crystal balls or chaotically gray balls with lightning within. Wendy had a slightly red mist encircling hers as sweat trickled down her face. Both Lia and Rose had opaque bright silver in theirs, with Rose's being slightly cold and Lia's being warm to the touch.

"I think I've seen enough. Let's get on to your presentations, shall we?" Professor Trelawney began, standing up once more from her seat and clapping her hands. At that, all the empty crystal balls disappeared, leaving around 5 crystal balls including Wendy's, Lia's, and Rose's. One by one, the 5 students whose crystal balls remained went up to the front desk, placed their crystal balls on the table and allowed them to play aloud for the class to hear. The first was a Ravenclaw girl whose crystal ball recited a pseudoprophecy about an impending disaster at an upcoming party to be held by a group of mischievous Gryffindors. The second was a Hufflepuff boy whose prophecy was too abstract to be interpreted on his own. The professor shook her head, stating that it was most likely about the coming dangers of the Argenti case. The rest of the room couldn't hold back their "Ooooohs" and "Aaaaahs" while Rose facepalmed. It was quite obvious that the Argenti case was only getting worse, so the prophecy was quite useless.

Next up was Wendy whose now pinkish-red crystal ball was starting to send out sparks. Professor Trelawney gave a curious look, motioning for the Slytherin girl to continue. The pseudoprophecy echoed across the room, a little boy's voice reciting the lines solemnly:

_You are not at all like my rose,_

_As yet you are nothing._

_No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one._

_You are like my fox when I first knew him._

_He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes._

_But I have made him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world._

_You are beautiful, but you are empty,_

_One could not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you—the rose that belongs to me._

_But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe; because it is she that I have sheltered behind the screen; because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars (except the two or three that we saved to become butterflies); because it is she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or boasted, or ever sometimes when she said nothing._

_Because she is my rose._

Wendy was now beet red, averting her eyes from an equally red Rose. Lia laughed, forgetting her weary self and patting the embarrassed Gryffindor beside her. Rose was relieved to hear no further comment from her rival as she looked back to the front of the class.

"Very interesting. Considering the colors and electricity present in the crystal ball, A psuedoprophecy about love, hmm?"

"It's from a muggle story, professor. It's called The Little Prince."

"Very interesting, indeed," the professor replied. She looked between Rose and Wendy, her eyes twinkling. The two dared not look at the old woman. "You may take your seat, Miss Griffiths."

With a shy nod and a still red face, Wendy returned to her seat, smiling at Rose who bashedly returned the smile. Rose now approached the front desk, shivering slightly from the now freezing crystal ball she carried. As she placed down the ball on the front desk, the professor looked closely.

"I am quite pleased that you joined us Miss Weasley. I'm hoping you prove to be more talented than your mother."

 _I hope so, too,_ Rose thought, inwardly willing her crystal ball to start. The ball lit up slightly, and Hermione's voice echoed throughout the room as she sang a nostalgic melody that brought Rose back to her childhood.

_My darlings_

_My heart's desire is only for you_

_The moment has come for you to know_

_So sing to me the songs of dawn one more time_

_Before being set apart with endless space between us_

_No matter what, this is the one unchangeable truth_

_We are only ever destined to be together_

_Within the blissful life my dreams can conjure_

_Let me hear your melodic laughter, my treasured ones,_

_Ensure to put together the faded golden pieces of my heart,_

_Then offer them wholly away,_

_And hide the silver tears of yesterday_

_Keep them safe away from prying eyes_

_O dear gods, for my loves_

_Hum to them a soothing lullaby_

_Breathe into them a new bronze light_

_Let my innocent loves forget me_

_So long as you never 'till the end of time_

_Leave them as lonely birds of the night_

_I pray, O gods, let the rest of the world be left alone_

_This is my one sole and pleading wish:_

_For our serene peace to last evermore_

_In a new world_

"Oh, your mother's voice, dear?" The professor asked as the light in the crystal ball died out. Rose had slight tears in her eyes, which she quickly wiped away. She turned to her professor and gave a warm smile. In the corner of her eye, she saw a shocked Lia confusedly stare at Rose's crystall ball, brows up and mouth wide open.

"Yes, professor. That was the lullaby she always sang to me when I was much younger. She used to sing it to me every night before I slept, and it's become a source of a great bond between us." _Funny that I've been wanting to hear it again after all this time,_ Rose mused, reminscing her old memories being tucked in bed as her mother lulled her to sleep.

"Well that is quite beautiful," the professor remarked, obviously moved as she touched the crystal ball, carried it and handed it back to Rose. "My inner eye tells me to keep watch of your mother. She will need you in the near future."

Rose nodded and went back to her seat, passing by Lia who levitated her crystal ball to the table. Similar to Rose's, the ball was bright silver. As she let down her ball on the desk, she smiled apologetically to a slightly confused professor. "Sorry professor, it was burning hot," she muttered distractedly. Rose noted that there seemed to be something greatly weighing in the raven-haired girl's mind.

"Not to worry, dear. You can begin anytime."

As Rose watched Lia close her eyes, the crystal ball started to glow, and a voice neither feminine nor masculine began to also sing a pseudoprophecy. Its voice crackled as if on the other end of a muggle phone, which was on the danger of disconnecting.

_In a new world_

_For our serene peace to last evermore_

_This is my one sole and pleading wish:_

_I pray, O gods, let the rest of the world be left alone_

_Leave them as lonely birds of the night_

_So long as you never 'till the end of time_

_Let my innocent loves forget me_

_Breathe into them a new bronze light_

_Hum to them a soothing lullaby_

_O dear gods, for my loves_

_Keep them safe away from prying eyes_

_And hide the silver tears of yesterday_

_Then offer them wholly away,_

_Ensure to put together the faded golden pieces of my heart,_

_Let me hear your melodic laughter, my treasured ones,_

_Within the blissful life my dreams can conjure_

_We are only ever destined to be together_

_No matter what, this is the one unchangeable truth_

_Before being set apart with endless space between us_

_So sing to me the songs of dawn one more time_

_The moment has come for you to know_

_My heart's desire is only for you_

_My darlings_

There was total silence as students sat shell-shocked, astonished, or just plain confused. Some of them had fingers in their ears as if to clean them, doubting what they just heard. It was so silent that if a pin were dropped, and everybody would hear it clearly. Everyone either stared at the crystal ball, at Lia who was frozen and looking down, or Rose who was completely still, her head obviously overheating from thinking.

Her initial reaction was that Lia probably sabotaged her magical object. However, she knew that it was near impossible to trick a crystal ball. _And what benefit would she get in revealing a reversed version of Mum's lullaby, anyway?_ She met the eyes of an equally dumbfounded Lia. _So why?_

"Miss Evernight."

Lia sighed, turning to Professor Trelawney who was very much deep in thought as she closed her eyes and had her arms up, almost as if calling to all the gods up above.

"Yes, professor?"

The professor opened her eyes and curiously looked at her student. "Is this pseudoprophecy familiar to you?"

Lia nodded. "I've heard it countless times in my dreams over the years, professor."

"Have your parents ever said anything remotely related? Similar to Rose's maybe?"

Lia gulped, seemingly uncomfortable as she fidgeted and bit her lip. She looked around the class at her classmates who were expectedly waiting for an answer. Wendy watched her nervously while Rose looked at her with mixed emotions.

"My parent at the moment as far as I know has nothing to do with it. With my biological parents however..." she trailed off, clasping her hands together then looking back up. "I wouldn't know, professor. I was abandoned when I was 3."

* * *

Rose, Wendy, and Lia walked down towards the Slytherin dungeons in uncomfortable silence. The only sounds that could be heard were the measured thuds of their footsteps, the occasional dragging of their robes, and the constant growling of Wendy's stomach. In their hands were paper bags of bread and meat they grabbed from the Great Hall, with an extra portion for Laurel.

The Gryffindor held her tongue from dropping an onslaught of questions on Lia, considering that for one, they were still in the halls, and talking about one of the other's biggest secrets about their parents was hardly a topic for discussion in a public space. Second, it didn't seem that Lia herself knew what was going on, judging from the bewildered and confused expressions she wore earlier on. Third, Rose still didn't know where they were going, considering that neither she nor Laurel was allowed in the Slytherin common room.

"Here," Lia declared, stopping in front of the entrance of the Slytherin common room.

Wendy and Rose looked at each other in confusion. Lia merely sighed and took a few paces to the left, tapping her wand in a pattern on the wall, which Rose vaguely recognized as the Aquila constellation. Rose's brows rose, exclaiming in surprise. "I memorize every nook and cranny of this castle, and there aren't supposed to be any hidden passages here!"

The walls opened to a narrow brightly-lit hall leading to a staircase.

"If what you know comes from your parents, then your information's outdated," Lia said, leading the group into the passage. "Come on." The three went up a spiralling staircase and ended up in front of a short hall leading to 2 doors facing one another. Walking up to them, Lia pointed to the left door.

"This leads to my room in the Slytherin quarters, addressing a Wendy who was filled with wonder. "This," she continued, pointing at the right door. "is my actual room. Laurel's here."

Upon hearing this, Rose quickly had her hand on the knob, but before she could turn it open, the Slytherin had her hand on the door, preventing Rose from opening it.

"Before we go in, just be warned that Laurel might be... different."

Rose nodded with widened eyes. Taking a deep breath, Rose opened the door.

Nobody quite expected the scene before them.

All sorts of items like clothes, books, and papers were trashed and littered around the room as if thrown haphazardly. A bedside table lay broken, detached from one of its legs, in the corner of the room, and the curtains by the window were slashed violently. A small trembling figure crouched by the bed, clutching herself, while a female elf stood distraught and fearful as she pressed herself against the wall.

"Master, master!" The elf exclaimed fearfully, turning to the group. "Shirley tried containing her, but the miss was too strong." Lia's eyes widened in great alarm, noticing Laurel stir, turn, and meet Lia's gaze.

Lia gasped. Laurel's eyes glowed bright silver.

"No, no! It's too early. Shirley, get Mum!" Lia shouted, slowly approaching Laurel with her hands stretched out in front of her. Rose and Wendy already had their wands out as they, with frightened eyes, warily watched Laurel face the group.

The elf needed not to be told twice. Nodding, she disapparated right after exclaiming a quick "yes, master!"

"What do we do? What's happening, Evernight?"

"Get out of here. I'll hold her down while Shirley gets help."

"I'm not leaving you behind," Rose stated, taking a step forward. "That's my best friend!" She cried out, pointing her wand at a now evidently angry Laurel. Her friend stretched her arms to the side, and her blonde hair started lightening in color.

"Laurel, it's us. Calm down," Rose tried to say soothingly, even if her voice was quivering with fright. _Was this how Mum felt when she was on her dangerous adventures?_ She randomly thought, thinking of all the spells she knew would help her diffuse the threatening situation.

An evidently angered Laurel ignored her plea as dark orange flames suddenly ignited from her arms. Without warning, she threw a fireball at the group, which the trio dodged in the last second. Rose pulled Wendy to the side, painfully falling into piles of parchment. As they scrambled back up, they watched Lia stand her ground as she caught a part of the thrown flame in her hand. The flame was now a bright blue.

"If you're not leaving," Lia stated, suddenly shoving her wand into a flabbergasted Rose's hands. "Take care of my wand."

_What in bloody hell was going on?!_

The fallen pair watched the two standing students stare at each other menacingly as if sizing each other up. Lia walked forward and circled Laurel, to which Laurel walked in the opposite direction. This continued for a few seconds before the two started morphing. Both their eyes were now glowing bright silver. Feathers started sprouting on almost every part of the pair's bodies, and on their backs, ripping through their coats, suddenly burst forth long white scaly wings, which started flapping loudly and powerfully — the strong wind reaching Rose and Wendy in the corner as the parchments started flying into their faces. An almost ethereal silver glow enveloped the two, and they ceremoniously merged and became one when the Gryffindor and Slytherin, almost at the exact same time, tackled one another in mid-air.

Rose, while covering her face and wordlessly casting a protection charm around herself and Wendy, was devoid of any thoughts save for one.

_Veela... they're veela!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys think? I hope the lullaby made sense T____T It took really long for me to make a forward and backward version that still made sense either way HAHAHA Would love to hear your theories at this point!
> 
> p.s. i'll be studying for an upcoming exam which i completely forgot about so updates might be slower LMAO


	12. A Golden Name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i put like one explicit word in this chapter and I tried not putting it but it was quite impossible not to without losing comedic effect... xD

For the next few days, Hermione and Fleur worked on the Argenti case around the clock. Hermione was pleasantly surprised with the quick wit and sharpness of Fleur. She would point out patterns of the appearances, which Hermione would have never noticed if it hadn't been for Fleur's aid. Although she always knew Fleur was quite intelligent, working with her up close was a whole other different thing.

Furthermore, The Golden Girl was grateful as the latter even took a leave of absence from her work at Gringotts.

"Since you so badly need my help and so nicely asked," she would tell Hermione repeatedly, much to the agitation of the brunette.

The two were kneeling on the floor, files spread around them. Fleur suggested for blankets and sheets as floor padding to keep themselves comfortable. While Hermione initially found the idea quite childish, she couldn't quite keep her eyes off of a childlike Fleur Delacour wrapped in a fluffy white comforter and deep in thought.

"You see, they sort of form a pattern, oui?" Fleur would say, grabbing a map and marker and placing it in front of the pair on the floor. With a wave of her hand, Fleur replicated the map multiple times. She put dots on each site of Argenti appearance and color-coded them according to wizard, muggle, and part-creature.

"Although it is true the appearances of the Argenti have generally been spread out across the world and the differences in number depending on the type of Argenti would be close to non-existent with the daily occurrences, one some specific days the numbers were quite odd"

"Now that you say it," Hermione said, her jaw slightly dropping and eyes quickly scanning the replicated maps. "There were 3 main days when the numbers surged, right?"

Fleur vigorously nodded, listening intently. Hermione felt her heart leap for a split second, trying to ignore the adorable (did she just think adorable?!) that adorned the French witch's face.

"55 Argenti appeared on March 23, 2021, which was the first day of their appearances" Hermione said, slightly blushing. She watched Fleur close her eyes and breathe in and out deeply. "Then, 777 appeared just last September 2, 2022. Those are all magical numbers, and we're only lacking the number 3. Merlin forbid, but do you think there's going to be a a day when we get 3333 Argenti cases?"

Fleur stared back at Hermione with an unreadable expression, crunching her brows together and closing her eyes. "I don't know, Hermione."

The two continued to look for more clues, and after close to 2 hours of heated discussion, consulting countless books, and silent thinking, Fleur decided that it was time to take a break. Hermione didn't notice as her companion stood up and went into the kitchen; she was still focused on the files, one of her hands holding up a book and another examining a muggle Argenti.

"Hermione, is Eggs Benedict and Crepes alright with you?" Fleur called out from within the kitchen, turning on the stove. Hermione's eyes widened, scrambling up and slipping slightly on a stray paper, much to the amusement of a spectating Fleur.

She grabbed a few bowls, a whisk, and eggs from the fridge. The blonde looked around, and after a few seconds, checked the farthest cupboard, getting 2 mugs. She smiled warmly at the sight. One of them was a mug from France, obviously an old souvenir with its cracked handpainted decorations of French sceneries.

"Ah, wait! I'll cook this time! You cooked yesterday already," Hermione reasoned, running to the kitchen in a few steps. She took one of her hair ties off her wrist and placed it between her lips, as she swiftly fixed her hair. Fleur watched quietly, her eyes not leaving the hairtie between Hermione's lips. Hermione then took the hairtie and tied her hair, facing a slightly dumbstruck Fleur who was still fixated on the other's lips.

"What?"

"What... what?" Fleur said stupidly as she snapped her eyes back to the brown eyes examining her curiously. Hermione brought her head forward, closer to Fleur, while Fleur instinctively brought her head back, hitting a cupboard and inwardly wincing at her stupid reactions.

"Merde!"

"Let me cook," Hermione said, grabbing the pan as Fleur sighed in pain and rubbed her head.

"Non," Fleur said sharply, abruptly turning back and grabbing back the pan, preparing the butter for the hollandaise. Ignoring Hermione's mutters as the brunette sat on the counter, she expertly blended eggs and added it into the pan. On the side, she prepared the batter for the crepes and took another pan.

All of this Hermione watched in awe.

"What?" Fleur asked, mocking the Gryffindor in the same tone she used earlier.

Hermione blushed, coughing. "I have to admit it. You're impressive, Fleur."

The quarter-veela gave a satisfied hum while smirking. "Well of course, I am."

"I'm quite curious though." Hermione leaned back on her arms which supported her weight, tilting her head.

"Why not use magic?"

Fleur froze.

The blonde licked her lips, evidently stalling her reply and started making the crepes. She prepared the next scoop, then lowered the heat on the two pans.

"You will laugh, 'Ermione," she said nervously, flipping a crepe.

"I won't."

Fleur stopped and looked at Hermione, slightly unsure. Meanwhile, Hermione was ignoring the bubbling weird emotions that started to wash over her. She's been doing a good job at hiding her irrationality and playing it civil as she hadn't had any outbursts ever since they started working together on the case. It wasn't to say that the task was easy, though, as there were many close calls.

"Well," Fleur began, going back to the hollandaise and stirring it slightly. "One of my... family members taught me how to cook the muggle way. Ever since, I've grown fond of doing it."

"Exactly, tell that to Harry, Ginny, and Ron! They don't get how wonderful it is to actually finish something you did manually — using muggle techniques," Hermione exclaimed, pleased to find someone likeminded for once in her pursuit of muggle cooking.

Fleur laughed heartily, gazing at Hermione with fondness. Hermione felt like she's both never met and met this Fleur before. Honestly, her most recent interactions with Fleur had been her favorite, and she's started to wonder why they never got along in the first place.

"Tell that to me when you actually don't burn something, Hermione Granger," she said cheekily. She grabbed a spoon, scooped a bit of Hollandaise, then brought it to Hermione's mouth.

"Taste this."

Before Hermione could reply, the spoon gently went in her mouth, and to her delight, the hollandaise was the best she's ever tasted. She licked her lips and savored the flavor, her eyes widening then looking at an expectant Fleur.

"This is fantastic, Fleur!"

"Well of course it is," she replied, looking obviously relieved as her shoulders lowered and she had a cute little pout while she cooked.

"Now leave, go clean up the mess there while I prepare lunch."

* * *

As the two ate lunch and drank coffee ("How did you work my coffee machine, Fleur? I've literally been trying to work that thing with no progress whatsoever! You're a genius!"), the two initially talked about more casual topics like their children and their work. Soon, the topics shifted to more personal ones concerning their shared passions of books, muggle items, coffee, and nature.

"Les Miserables? That book is one of my favorites!" Hermione exclaimed excitedly, going into a close to endless discussion about it being one of the books she read as a child. She occasionally read it as an adult, too.

"Oui, the same goes for me. ' _Même la nuit la plus sombre prendra fin et le soleil se lèvera,_ '" Fleur warmly replied, a grin reaching her eyes as she launched into a discussion of her favorite parts from the book. She stopped to think for a bit as her smile faltered. Hermione rose a brow.

 _"Vous qui souffrez parce que vous aimez, aimez plus encore. Mourir d'amour, c'est en vivre,"_ Fleur said softly, meeting Hermione's curious eyes. "What do you think of the idea of dying for love, 'Ermione? Is it poetic? Downright stupid? Meaningful? Everyone says something different." She leaned towards the table and tilted her head then sipping from her coffee.

"I'm quite curious as to what you'll say. What do you think?"

"Hmm," Hermione thought, snapping one of her fingers as if it would jolt her and bring the answer to her lips. She'd never thought of that before. "Well, I think a younger Hermione would have said that it's quite a beautiful idea — suffering for love and fighting for something you hold close to your heart."

"How about the older Hermione?"

"The older Hermione would say it depends," she replied, slicing a bit more of the Eggs Benedict. "Do I love my children? Yes, they are my world. Would I die for them? Yes, I would. Would I die for my friends? Most likely. But Fleur," she continued, putting down her fork.

Fleur rose her brow, leaning on a hand. She chewed on the last bit of her lunch.

"I don't really believe in fighting for the love you're probably thinking of — romantic love? I've tried for years and look where I ended up," she said, extending her arms to her apartment and leaning back. "It sounds quite cheesy I know, but I don't believe in that kind of love anymore."

"I see," Fleur said, nodding and smiling sadly. "Then we think quite differently Madame Granger."

Fleur shifted the discussion to much lighter topics after that as the two launched into discussion about magical law and creatures. (Yes, those are considered light for the two intelligent witches.) Although the brunette was definitely still listening intently to what the French witch was saying, Hermione's mind was having three realizations in that moment. One, Hermione didn't want to admit it, but she quite enjoyed it when Fleur slipped into her French accent. It sort of gave her the impression that she was being her true self around Hermione rather than the cold queen she grew to know her as. _And hate,_ she thought to herself.

Second, Fleur's smile was really pretty when it wasn't sneering or leering at her. Like, the type of smile-that-unexpectedly-lights-up-like-a-beam-and randomly-flashes-in-her-mind-later-on-in-the-day. That kind of beautiful, definitely.

Third, Fleur's eyes didn't seem ice cold anymore. Instead, it reminded her of the ocean's calm, still hiding secrets she would probably never finish uncovering in its depths, yet she was willing to wade in its waters and try anyway. The ocean breeze would hit her face as waves carried her to Merlin only knew where.

"Also, I didn't want to admit it Madame Granger," Fleur said, interrupting Hermione's thoughts. She motioned to the different areas of the apartment. "But your apartment is gorgeous. It's so bright, but not too bright, non?"

"Exactly. I was trying to explain it to Ginny and Harry, but they said it was too carefree. And totally not like me," she said, chuckling and sipping a bit of coffee. _Why is coffee from Fleur always so good? Is she drugging me or something?_ She chuckled at the thought.

Fleur raised a brow to this but let it go. Hesitating and biting her cheek, she mulled over asking Hermione that's been weighing on her mind.

"Seems you want to ask me something," Hermione joked. "Shoot."

Fleur still seemed unsure, looking down into her half-empty cup of coffee and pursing her lips. Usually, Fleur was so confident, and this was one of those times when she was uncharacteristically not.

"It might be a sensitive topic. I wouldn't want to impose," Fleur replied, sipping from her coffee. Hermione appreciated the concern that Fleur had, but at this point, she was actually quite comfortable with talking about her divorce with the blonde, which surprised herself.

_I wonder why I'm alright with opening up to Fleur. It's probably because she's a divorcee, as well. I mean, I know she probably had a better divorce but at least she remotely knows what I'm feeling, right? Yeah, that's right._

"Hmm, then I'll ask something, too," she said confidently, leaning on an elbow. "That way you can ask me without feeling any guilt."

Fleur's brows rose. Then she slowly nodded.

"Alright," Hermione leaned forward, mischievously smiling. Fleur gulped. "Two questions."

"Two?!" Fleur said in mock outrage, obviously not really caring as a corner of her lips was up. "You unfair witch, 'Ermione Gra—"

"Who was that brunette you threw a heel at? I saw her come out of your apartment twice already."

"She's—" Fleur began, slightly red, averting her gaze from an expectant Hermione. She straightened her back and with the most confident voice she could muster said, "She's a friend."

Hermione laughed. "You're a terrible liar, Fleur Delacour."

"Non, I am not lying." She replied coolly, starting to clean up her empty plate and standing up. Hermione scoffed at the obvious escape.

"Then who is it, really?" Hermione asked, not letting go of the conversation and following Fleur into the kitchen. She placed a hand on the cupboard directly above the pair as Fleur placed her dish in the sink. Hermione didn't let go of Fleur's eyes until the blonde stared back. Hermione nodded and tilted her head, urging Fleur to continue.

"Fine, she's a companion who—" she fumbled for words. "—who I pay to stay with me."

Hermione looked at her in disbelief. "Like a fuck buddy?"

"Non, non!" Fleur choked out, coughing and her hands freezing in mid-air as she let go of the plate, which crashed into the sink, which Fleur jumped to in surprise.

Thankfully, the plate remained in one piece. Fleur tried dispelling the blush now coming up by waving her hand but ultimately decided to just bury her face in her hands. She shyly turned away from Hermione as she struggled to find the right words to explain herself.

"Non, not— not a fuck buddy. And I thought the British were prudes, merde..."

Feeling a bit of Gryffindor courage seeping into her blood, Hermione took a step forward and removed the hands from Fleur's face, slightly pulling her to face the brunette.

It seemed a good idea initially, Hermione thought. But damn, the pair was sandwiched between the counter at the center of the kitchen and the sink, so they were quite in a tight spot. As a result, Hermione was quite literally right in Fleur's face.

"Hey, I'm just kidding," Hermione said, chuckling, still holding Fleur's hands. She sorted her words out before continuing. "So... you pay this companion to really just stay with you? Do you... want to talk about it?"

Fleur sighed as she rubbed her own cheeks.

"I pay her to stay with me— to talk to me, to eat with me, and sometimes she, um, sleeps _beside_ me." Fleur was still completely red and looked like a hole would swallow her up. Hermione was tempted to tease the embarrassed blonde. After all, it wasn't everyday she had the opportunity to. But the small look in Fleur's eyes, coupled with the red in her cheeks made Hermione look at her with a twinge of pity. It seemed that Fleur wasn't compeletely over her own divorce... which was completely unexpected.

Truthfully, Hermione didn't know much with regards to what happened with Fleur and Bill. All she knew was that it was a much better divorce than Hermione and Ron's. The two even meet up once in a while to chat, every month that is, almost as if it were a monthly date with a spouse, except rather than a couple having a romantic dinner it was more of catch-up between two old fond friends who bonded over beer at a pub. They were often even joined by a few of their co-workers at Gringotts.

That's why Hermione thought that Fleur was perfectly alright with her still-perfect hair and elegant clothes, her confident gait and sashaying, her glowingly beautiful face, and her utterly annoying flirtatious remarks.

 _Not the time to get mad now,_ Hermione thought, gaining control over the bubbling emotions attempting to blow over as she recounted a few bad memories at The Burrow.

In reality, it didn't seem like Fleur was alright at all. Rather than the flawless woman she projected herself as, she seemed like a broken soul whose pieces she tried finding in a stranger. Now, as Hermione tucked strands of hair behind Fleur's ear, she found a woman whose perfection was quite only a facade.

"I— I guess I didn't know how lonely I was," Fleur stammered out, looking down.

Hermione brought up Fleur's chin, enunciating each word as if gospel.

"And that is alright, Fleur. You don't have to look ashamed for it. Why didn't you contact any of us, then? We could have helped."

Fleur remained silent, unable to answer as she held a blank stare. Hermione changed the topic, deciding it was something to be discussed another day.

"How about... why did you throw your heels at her?" Hermione asked, chuckling.

"I threw my heel because she... she tried kissing me."

At that, Hermione's smile fell quickly. "She tried... what?!" Hermione's thoughts drifted to when she encountered the other brunette by the elevators. Instead of slamming the door, she should've slammed the woman into the elevators and jinxed her into the next building. Hermione's anger was obviously evident on her face as Fleur squeezed her cheeks and laughed.

"But it is no worry, 'Ermione. I am alright," Fleur rambled, extracting herself from Hermione's hands and starting to wash her plate. "Besides, I've already fired her. I'll just look for a replacement—"

"Then just visit here more."

Fleur's head snapped to Hermione once more, with a look that seemed unsure she heard correctly. Realizing that she did hear rightly, her eyes widened, and she turned her attention back to her plate.

"Non, non. I'm not— I'm not," she chuckled deeply, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. "I'm not going to last with you, 'Ermione. I mean," she stammered. "We're just going to end up fighting, and I don't want to stress you out."

She turned to Hermione, was about to say something, then walked past her, walking towards the couch with the files. The unusually confident gait of the blonde appeared, and her cold elegance was now apparent. Hermione followed, crossed her arms and leaned on the center counter, pouting.

"Come on, Fleur. It's a win-win deal. You get to have a companion, and I get to hopefully resolve my anger issues with you."

When Fleur looked back at Hermione, the brunette was slightly surprised at the change in demeanor the blonde had. Her posture was rigid, her chin slightly higher, and her eyes... ice cold.

Hermione gulped.

_It's the old Fleur._

"You said it yourself, Hermione," she replied slightly coldly. Hermione frowned at the coldness of Fleur's voice as she put her walls back up. "You have issues with me! How do we not know that we're just going to end up at each other's necks like at The Burrow?!"

"How will we know if we don't try, Fleur? Weren't we relatively alright these past few days?!" Hermione asked, now slightly shouting as she approached the blonde, taking a step forward as the quarter-veela took a step back.

Hermione willed herself to keep a steely gaze on the blue orbs in front of her. Fleur's equally matched, if not more practiced cold gaze sent shocks into Hermione's system, jolting the beast inside of her awake. _No, no, no, not now!_ There was a moment of hesitation in Hermione as she now had her arms around herself and averted her gaze from the blonde.

"Hermione, why do you care so much about our friendship?" Fleur asked questioningly, now the one moving forward. "Weren't you perfectly alright with your distance with me? With not having to do anything with me?!"

"Yes, but—" Hermione stammered.

"So why, Hermione?!" Fleur continued, placing a finger on Hermione's chest and pushing her back. "What? So we can play pretend? Pretend that we're good friends who care for one another?! I bet you're only waiting to insult and judge me like always!" At this point, Hermione kept her head turned away completely from the blonde. She closed her hands into fists and started breathing deeply.

"We're not pretending! And I'm not judging you either! It's just—"

"Hermione, look at me when you talk."

"No," she replied weakly.

"Hermione, if you can't even look at me!"

"No!"

"I SAID, LOOK AT ME!"

"NO!"

"HERMIONE—"

"I DON'T BLOODY KNOW, ALRIGHT?! I BLOODY HATE YOU AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT! WHEN I LOOK AT YOU MY BLOOD BOILS AND I CAN'T HELP IT, BUT I JUST— I JUST—"

Fleur stopped in her tracks, closely examining an angry and exasperated Hermione who was shaking uncontrollably. Her hair was a mess; she had handfuls of hair, which she pulled on opposite ends. Fleur watched as tears spilled out of Hermione's eyes and streamed down her face. Her lips were trembling as she struggled to get words out. Slowly, Hermione sank down to the floor while Fleur followed downwards.

"I—" Hermione choked out, trying to keep her gaze on the now concerned blonde who kept her hands on Hermione's cheeks. "I don't know why I hate you. You confuse me, you infuriate me! But, Fleur I—"

Fleur took a double check, biting her lip. Her eyes were conflicted as she took in Hermione's state. Then slowly, ever so slowly, her walls came crumbling down as she embraced the brunette.

"Shh, it's alright. It's alright. Calm down, 'Ermione," she said, gently wiping the brunette's tears away. "Breathe with me. In, out. That's it."

The two slowed their breathing until Hermione noticeably shook much less.

"I'm sorry, 'Ermione. I didn't mean to agitate you."

Hermione kept silent.

Fleur wrapped her arms around Hermione as the brunette sat frozen on the floor.

"Why do I hate you, Fleur? You've been nothing but kind. You've done nothing wrong. I just—"

Hermione placed her hands on Fleur's face and pulled her back such that the blonde's face was to be seen in front of her. Fleur had a sad look in her eyes as the two stared at each other.

"Maybe," Fleur whispered, looking down and averting her gaze. She took a deep breath. "Maybe I'm not the good person that you think I am. Maybe I deserve to be hated, 'Ermione."

At that, Hermione watched as Fleur's eyes blinked and glinted a bright silver as a tear fell from an eye. Suddenly, Hermione felt like her head felt was about to split open from excruciating pain, and she held her temple in dizziness. Before everything went black, she could have sworn she heard a silent whisper, empty and hopeless.

_"I'll fix this for good. I'm sorry, mon coeur d'or."_

* * *

Hermione felt like she was floating, as if she were only half-conscious in this dream-like state. Silver mist surrounded her in a translucent haze, and as it slightly lifted, she realized she was in a familiar room she stayed in many many years ago. Her eyes drifted to the figure unconscious on the bed and another figure sleeping on the side, resting her head on the bed while sitting figure tightly held the hand of the figure lying down.

Hermione walked around, examined the objects around the room, and confirmed that indeed, she was back at Shell Cottage.

 _These were quite the bad memories_ , she thought.

Hermione distinctly remembered the smell of antiseptic in the air that day as she watched the younger Hermione open her eyes to the dimly-lit room. She remembered the pain in every part of her body as if she were merely broken pieces put together flimsily. Her mind was cluttered and in fragments as well; the last thing she remembered was being hit spell after spell and being carved in the flesh with a knife...

_Malfoy Manor!_

Hermione watched as her younger self abruptly sat up and immediately regretted the action as her head felt light and she swayed left and right. A gentle hand held her shoulder, attempting to hold her in place. She looked to her left and found a weary Fleur who was awakening from her slumber, hair untamed and eyes sullen. She had obviously not slept in the past few days as she struggled to sit up.

The younger Hermione then looked at Fleur with widened eyes as her eyes filled with tears. Fleur looked at her in confusion, placing a hand on Hermione's forehead then her neck, then her cheek.

"Hermione you need to lay down. Your injuries--"

"Fleur... Fleur, it's me," the younger Hermione said, choking on her tears and looking intently at Fleur, tightly holding her arms and gritting her teeth.

The silver mist was thickening again. It was close to opaque and threatened to completely envelop the pair. Hermione struggled to keep hearing as she moved closer and closer.

Fleur looked at the younger Hermione, even more puzzled as she tucked a strand of hair behind Hermione's ear. She placed her hand back on the brunette's forehead and furrowed a brow. She grabbed a vial from the side and was about to hold it up.

"What are you talking about, Hermione? I think you need a bit more re--"

"Her name meant golden."

Hermione's head snapped to the sound of dropped glass, shattering sharply. Fleur had dropped the vial to the ground as it broke into pieces. Not one of the pair looked at the broken glass on the floor. Fleur's head snapped back up to Hermione's watering eyes, tilting her head then abruptly placed her hands on either side of Hermione's face. The two stared intently at each other, then Fleur's eyes drifted to scan Hermione up and down, as if seeing a completely different person. Her eyes slowly widened and she breathed in deeply. Her eyes were watering and slightly glinting in bright silver.

"I— I thought I had lost you, too." Fleur whispered, biting her lip and shakily releasing the breath she held.

"Well, I'm here now," She heard her younger self whisper back, cupping Fleur's cheek and pressing their foreheads together. "And you're never going to lose me again."

The older bystander Hermione frowned. _I don't remember this happening._

What she remembered was waking up to Fleur who neutrally recounted what had happened and merely called Harry and Ron. The two barely talked save for when Fleur explained the spells she was using to heal the injured brunette or made small talk about the ongoing war.

Hermione watched as the two continued silently talking in hushed voices. She had to move even closer to try hearing their whispers. However, the memory faded as everything became surrounded by the silver mist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> woop last chapter for the year 2020 (u will not be missed haha :") hope you liked this chapter!


	13. Mirror of Erised

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> happy new year, everyone! (and wow, thanks for the 100 kudos merp <3)
> 
> ^&*#!(&$ refers to muffled words or garbled words

Hermione's heels clicked through the halls of the Auror Office. She wore a white sleeveless blouse paired with a gray blazer and black flowing pants. She was quite distracted as her mind was filled with questions concerning a certain blonde witch who suddenly disappeared after Hermione blacked out.

_Hermione woke up the next day around noon to close to a dozen texts from her parents and friends, worried as she had not replied. After sending a quick blast of messages, she quickly knocked on Fleur's door._

_There was no reply._

_She was about to turn her back on the door when an instinct, almost like a soft voice in her head, coaxed her to open the door. Trying her luck, she was surprised to find that the door was unlocked. Curiosity filled her as she decided to turn the doorknob._

_"I'm coming in, Fleur."_

_Walking inside and taking in her surroundings, she was shocked to find an empty apartment— it was devoid not just of people; it was devoid of items and furniture, almost as if somebody had rushed to move out. Fleur's magic was still swirling in the air, proof that she had left not more than a day ago._

_The sound of owls pecking on the window could be heard. Noticing the sound, Hermione rushed to the window and encountered 3 owls. She received 3 envelopes: 2 fat ones were for Hermione as 1 was a long letter from Rose and the other was from her parents. The other was a thin envelope for Fleur with a waxed seal that had a bird insignia._

Hermione forced herself to return to the present. She walked with Harry, along with a wizard in his late-seventies, an elf, and a witch in her mid-forties, the last 3 nervously glancing around and taking in their unfamiliar surroundings. Harry opened a door into a small room, ushered his companions inside, and opened the lights. The room contained only a large metal rectangular table with 5 chairs at one end. Atop the table was a shallow stone basin and a few glass vials on the side.

"We're really grateful for you to help us out," Hermione said warmingly to the group who were already approaching the chairs. The old wizard smiled a toothy grin and sat down at the chair in front of the Pensieve. The other two quietly sat down on the other chairs.

"It is no problem. I myself would like to know what's happening. What were your names again?"

Harry smiled. It wasn't everyday that somebody didn't know him. "I'm Harry Potter, an auror here. This is Hermione Granger."

"Ah, right. I'm assuming you both attended Hogwarts, hmm?"

The two nodded.

"Well, I think I have the right memories for you. Let's get on with it, shall we?"

Harry and Hermione sat on the two remaining vacant seats. As Hermione prepared the vials and Pensieve, Harry gave the Argenti instructions on what to do. Once the materials were ready, Harry placed his wand, now glowing at the tip, at the side of the man's head. He slowly drew out a faint silvery thread, much duller in brightness than what Hermione drew out from her own head, and placed it into the Pensieve.

The rest of the group looked at Hermione, with Harry nodding at his good friend. With a deep breath, Hermione plunged her head into the basin.

* * *

Hermione opened her eyes to a familiar classroom at Hogwarts, except it was twice the regular size as twice the number of students packed the room, chattering. Although Hermione could not recognize the students' faces due to the silver mist covering the most part of their heads, she recognized a few Gryffindor and Slytherin scarves around a few students. Examining the mist and trying to touch it, Hermione noticed its similarity with the thread she tried extracting from her head and mist she encountered in her dreams.

_They're all quite glittery now that I think about it... and exceedingly bright._

Continuing to look around, she was surprised to find students with light blue button up uniforms. Most of them crowded in groups towards the back or middle rows, except for one who sat at the front row. Confirming her suspicions and upon closer inspection, she found the Beauxbatons emblem on all of their left pockets.

_This was in our fourth year! The year of the Triwizard Tournament!_

The front of the class had a chalkboard saying 'Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Max &@!)&$' No matter how much Hermione focused her eyes, the rest of his name was covered by a silver mist due to the censoring magic that took place. She furrowed her brows in confusion.

_That's odd, it was supposed to be Barty Crouch Jr. disguised as Moody as our professor during this year._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the door opening, and in came a much younger version of the old wizard dressed smartly in a black shirt, slacks, and robes. He walked towards the front, passing by a large rectangular object covered in brown dusty cloth.

"Good day to you all. For our twelfth meeting, we'll be dealing with a magical artifact."

He waved his wand once more, and the large rectangular object was uncovered, a showing a large mirror with ancient writing on its sides. The class started murmuring excitedly.

"This, class, is the Mirror of Erised. Normally, we don't share it with students, but one of my ancestors was the one who brought the artifact to Hogwarts. Hence, I was able to get special permission to present it to all of you. It reveals to you what you most truly desire."

He walked up to the mirror and placed a hand on its side, looking intently in its glass as a corner of his lips went up fondly. The mirror remained blank in Hermione's eyes. Hermione recalled Harry saying that only the individuals themselves could see what they most truly desired within the mirror.

"I believe one of you has already encountered this item," his eyes twinking, landing on a student on the second row, right behind the Beauxbatons student in front. The student fidgeted in their seat, and Hermione's eyes widened in realization.

 _That's Harry then._ She looked around the class and realized that the class was full of students of different statures and heights. _This must be a class of mixed years._

 _Ron would be beside him towards the center_ , she mused, her eyes wandering to the figure beside him. Hermione recognized the pair's bags on the floor beside them as well as the slouched posture of her ex-husband. _That means I would be to Ron's right—_

But instead of finding the figure of a girl with parchments and quills lined up on the table, she found a male figure with a Hufflepuff scarf, leaning on an elbow and obviously with his gaze elsewhere. _What? Where am I?_

"This class is all about combating dark magic, and I believe that to do this, one must constantly be reminded of the light. Let's start," the professor announced clapping his hands and leading the students to line up one by one in front of the mirror. Hermione started walking towards the line of students composed of the students in the front row.

That's when she found a figure most likely to be herself, silver mist not quite covering all of her fuzzy brown hair and wearing a familiar white sweater within her robes. She watched herself approach the mirror and stare at it for a few moments. Hermione was quite curious as to what she saw in the mirror but, as expected, found a blank glass. The younger Hermione walked back to her seat, which was right in front of Ron or dead center in the front row. She watched herself fix a stack of parchments and grab a quill, beginning to write.

 _Okay, that's not really out of the ordinary,_ she thought to herself, smiling.

A Beauxbatons student sat on her younger self's left, and the two engaged in a discussion as the rest of the class started lining up in front of the mirror. Harry and Ron rose from their seats and passed by the discussing pair and fell in line as well. Hermione approached the discussing pair and tried overhearing their conversation.

"What did you see in the mirror, &!@(&#!?" The Beauxbatons student looped her arm around Hermione's, taking one of the Gryffindor's parchments.

"For the last time, &*$!^)$, I'm not telling you."

The foreign student crossed her arms, and cheekily said, "Come on, I won't be able to sleep tonight if you don't tell me." The older Hermione rose a brow to this. _Was she ever close to any of the Beauxbatons students?_

The younger Hermione sighed then chuckled. "I think you have a good idea of what I saw, &!)#^!&#!"

Ron and Harry then went past them again and sat back in their seats. Hermione watched the Weasley bring his head forward between the younger Hermione and Beauxbatons student, bitterly remarking, "Keep the sweetness down will you, some of us are trying to pay attention in class!"

"Oh really, Monsieur?" The Beauxbatons student asked, turning in her seat and fully facing Ron. "We are listening quite well," holding up a parchment of her own with beautiful cursive handwriting. _Is that...?_ Hermione thought, running up to the group and peering closer at the parchment. Her confirmation came in an angry Weasley's sudden outburst.

"^&#)!^, stop fraternizing with the enemy. She's just using you to win the cup!" Ron angrily whispered at Hermione. Harry was now bringing down Ron from his standing position, dragging him back to his seat as Hermione was bringing down a now standing Beauxbatons student — now confirmed as Fleur Delacour — who had Ron's robes in one of her hands.

"Monsieur, how many times do I have to tell you—" the quarter-veela began furiously, steadily rising as the younger boy flailed about.

"Students, students— settle down!"

Before Hermione could watch any further, her surroundings shifted from a classroom into another room. She walked around and noticed all sorts of ancient artifacts, books, and furniture. She found Max covering up the Mirror of Erised in the corner amongst other items in the dusty room. Hermione recognized the room as one of the hidden storage rooms at Hogwarts.

"And back here you go," he said, patting dust off of himself then approaching the exit.

* * *

Hermione gasped for air as her head rose from the Pensieve. Her eyes took in the room, her companions closely watching her. She looked to Harry with a determined look.

"Harry, I have my suspicions, but... let's continue with the other memories first."

One by one, Hermione viewed the memories of the elf and the witch. They were much less related to her as she viewed the scene of the elf serving a wizard family and the scene of the witch playing quidditch as a teen with her friends. After ensuring that all the memories were properly examined, Harry led the three Argenti out of the room, the old wizard stopped to smile at Harry and Hermione with a familiar twinkle in his eyes. Then, he exited along with the others.

Hermione, left alone in the room, collected her thoughts, and breathed deeply. The silver mist was identical to that of her dream. Aside from the physical similarities, she couldn't explain how she was so sure of their being identical. It was almost as if it was composed of the same magic.

Harry returned to sit in front of Hermione.

"What did you find?"

"It's the same. Exactly the same as what I saw in my dream and with the thread."

"Well, that's news." Harry rubbed his temple. "Anything else?"

"A lot more. Harry, I think they're from alternate universes."

"You're kidding me."

"I'm not," Hermione said seriously, leaning forward on the table, the light allowing the pair's heads to cast shadows on the surface. She thought of her dream, a memory, which she couldn't remember from the past at all. _I'm not going nuts, am I?_

"We had Barty Crouch as our professor in fourth year, but that man," she said, pointing to the door, "was apparently our professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts for that year in a different timeline. If I'm not mistaken, his name is Max Gertridge, a direct descendant of Westley Gertridge who brought the Mirror of Erised to Hogwarts. Other than that, in that timeline, I was good friends with Fleur Delacour."

"How would you know? All the faces are—"

"—covered in mist yeah. But I wouldn't miss old clothes, Fleur's handwriting, and an angry Ronald saying I was fraternizing with the enemy who wanted to win the cup. Now, who was your only competitor wearing a light blue uniform and spoke French?"

At that, Harry sat stunned, silently pondering to himself.

"Why do you think these are happening, Hermione? The occurrences of the Argenti, I mean. No level of our current magic can handle the apparition and space-time travel of thousands of people. Hell, even the Unspeakables said there's no person, group of people or possibility of a magical artifact that can handle the task."

Hermione stilled, remaining silent. She tapped her fingers on the table and slowly breathed out.

"Harry, what if... what if isn't just a person or an artifact?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if it's a place? An area naturally filled with enough magical energy."

"We've considered that, too, but such an area would be too conspicuous. Besides, you know how after Voldemort was defeated, the Ministry took steps to monitor every major magical area around the world. You yourself strengthened that initiative when you were MInister."

"Yes, I did Harry," Hermione replied curtly, then hesitantly looked down, affixing a strand of hair behind her ear. "But I left out some places."

Harry sat stunned.

"What— what places?"

"Ancient areas, protected areas of creatures."

"Hermione," Harry replied, breathing deeply, wide-eyed. "You're telling me that, as Minister of Magic to Britain, you purposely left out some areas, which were supposed to be under our protection... and for what?" Harry said, putting down his hands on the table in displeasure and standing up.

"For their rights, Harry," Hermione firmly said, standing up and finding Harry's gaze. "I get that it sounds irrational, but if the wrong people at this Ministry — and I'm sure there are still a lot of them about — had access to such areas passed down from generation to generation for thousands of years, even before muggles and wizards and witches existed, who knows what they'd do with such information?"

Harry avoided Hermione's angry eyes, looked down, and abashedly nodded. He sat back down and willed himself to calm down.

"You're right. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry, too," Hermione said, tiredly rubbing her eyes.

Harry thought carefully before he spoke. "So... what now? Should we check each protected area?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes, and I'll be getting my department to help with this as we'd need special permission from the heads of each clan or tribe. But before that, can you check something for me?"

"Anything."

"I was wondering why there weren't any veela Argenti, and I have a hunch. You still have samples of the carbon that appeared with the Argenti, right?"

"Of course."

"Good. Take them and burn some of them at around 850 degrees Celsius or higher. Until they become diamonds."

"Why?"

"I was thinking that it might be possible the reason we're not seeing any veela is because... we've been tracking them wrong. Under extreme magical stress, in this case possibly being sent to a different timeline, veela have the tendency to burn at extreme temperatures. It's possible that it changed the chemical make-up of the carbon on their bodies. Even if the material's probably off their bodies after a while, we might be able to track the magic lingering on them."

She paused then looked at a stunned Harry.

He sighed. "Fingers crossed that we'll get something, then."

Hermione then stood up and gathered her things. Her thoughts drifting to Fleur — the woman has obviously become something of an enigma to Hermione. Close to everything she knew about the French witch, Hermione had to throw completely out the window. Where had she gone?

She thought of the letter that had arrived at Fleur's apartment. Fumbling in her bag, she found the thin envelope with the bird insignia. Harry peered curiously at the letter.

"What's that?"

Hermione ripped the letter open. "A letter for Fleur."

"What? You're reading a letter addressed to her?" Harry asked, shocked.

Hermione ignored her friend, opening the parchment within. To her surprise, it contained only a single line.

_We await your arrival._

Hermione sighed, closing the paper and tucking it back in its envelope then keeping these in her bag. Biting her lip, she closed her eyes in thought. She mused that maybe Fleur had gone back to her family in France, but the letter suggested otherwise.

 _The bird insignia is definitely the insignia of the veela clans in France,_ she thought. _Fleur's gone there. But why?_

After a moment's thought, she determinedly looked at Harry.

"Two of the protected areas are in hidden veela areas. I want to personally be assigned to them. I'll drag along Victoire."

_It's time to pay them a visit, then._


	14. Mothers

Lia's eyes opened to the ceiling of the hospital wing. She touched her cheek, still feeling the heat radiating off her hands from the battle. Her body ached, and her head was swirling in dizziness. Beside her bed sat Wendy and Rose, fast asleep, with their heads touching each others'. She smiled slightly.

She looked to her left and found an unconscious Laurel with bruises on her arms. Upon seeing them, she raised her arms, winced at the pain that came with elevating them, and found bruises of her own. The small area was secluded as curtains were drawn around the 2 beds.

 _They probably put a silencing charm, too. Probably in case one of us transforms again_ , she thought.

As she tried sitting up, she heard the sitting pair stir from their slumber. Wendy opened her eyes, glancing at the injured part veelas then slowly sat up. She spoke first as Rose blinked repeatedly and tried adjusting her eyes.

"How are you, Lia?"

Lia grunted and yawned. "I've had better days, honestly. What happened? How long have I been out?"

"Gave us quite the scare, that's what happened," Rose interrupted, sitting up and stretching. "While you and Laurel were at each other's necks, Headmistress McGonagall came in and did some complicated magic. The two of you immediately fell unconscious. Then, we brought you two here to the infirmary. You've been out of it for 3 days."

"She told us not to tell anybody what happened, not like we were planning to anyway," Wendy added. "I mean, who would believe us when we say we witnessed two partly transformed veelas fighting in a secret room at Hogwarts?"

"I would, Miss Griffiths."

The trio jumped at the reply of a familiar elderly voice and the sound of a curtain opening. In came the headmistress, carrying two mugs of hot liquid.

"You never know what to expect at Hogwarts, after all," Minerva added, handing one mug to Lia and placing another at Laurel's side table. "Here you go, Miss Evernight. I'm sure this will make you feel much better."

"You don't have to act anymore, Mum," Lia replied lightly, immediately drinking from the mug, sighing in satisfaction and placing a hand behind her head. "They already know."

With a raised brow and a motherly smile, the headmistress sat down on another chair. "Well that makes things much easier for me. Just to clarify though," she added in haste, addressing Rose and Wendy who were close to the edge of their seats. "I'm not her biological Mum. I just took the liberty of raising her. She chose the name Evernight herself."

"I've been in contact with Apolline Delacour the entire time, your aunt Fleur's mother," she said, turning to Rose who was nodding. "Imagine an elderly woman trying to raise a veela all by herself! Merlin, it was honestly so much harder to raise Lia rather than run the school."

"Mum!"

"Oh, but it's the truth. That's why I had to put you in that room, so you could transform and cast fire anytime you wanted without endangering your schoolmates."

After a little grumble, Lia "But I do take after your wits, Mum."

"That you do, Lia. That you do."

Just then, Laurel stirred from her sleep, groaning and covering her eyes. Rose immediately went to Laurel's side. The Headmistress and Wendy soon followed beside her.

Rose concentrated as Laurel murmured and grumbled something.

"Argh, did I..." Laurel said, muttering the rest of the sentence.

"What did she say?" Rose asked an equally confused Wendy.

"Did I win the chess game?" Laurel repeated, slowly sitting up then immediately shielding herself, regretting what she said as she saw Rose's widened eyes and furrowed brows. She prepared for the incoming verbal attack.

"Laurel Chaves," Rose began slowly, gritting her teeth. Laurel tried averting her eyes before her friend grabbed her shirt. The injured Gryffindor looked to the other students for help, seeking their eyes with hers, but alas, nobody wanted to meet her gaze. She gulped.

"You literally half faint in front of me, and I was going to drag you to the infirmary, then that idiot—" Rose pointed at Lia who was hiding behind her hands, as if this protected her from the onslaught of shouts from the agitated Rose. "—thought it be best to take matters into her own hands for days. Days, Laurel! I was worried sick for days! And then we had the strangest Divination class where Lia and I had almost the exact same prophecy, and we go visit you where you've trashed Evernight's room and scared us all to hell and back then back to hell! Then you and Lia transform... literally transform in front of my eyes and attack one another like you were going to murder each other! THEN YOU ASK ME IF YOU WON THE CHESS GAME?"

Laurel merely stared back at her as if her soul was sucked out of her by a dementor.

"Clearly, Miss Weasley here takes after her mother," Minerva said, placing a hand on Rose's shoulder and sending her a pointed look to which she winced. She gently addressed a still shell shocked Laurel.

"Miss Chaves, how are you feeling?"

Laurel clutched her head and closed her eyes. "Like my blood is boiling, headmistress."

The headmistress nodded. "Lia here briefed you already when you were resting in her room, right?"

"Yes, I'm a veela, right?" She sadly said, breathing out a deep sigh afterwards. "I had my suspicions that something wrong was going on with me — whatnot with my eyes changing at random moments when I saw myself in the mirror, plus getting agitated easily. I tried hiding it, hoping it would go away." She paused and sighed.

"I don't want to be a veela. Is there any way to change that?"

"Miss Chaves," the headmistress continued, frowning as she sat down on Laurel's bed, finding her eyes and giving her a slightly pointed look. "You shouldn't be ashamed of your heritage. Being a veela is something to be proud of. They are an ancient race, a beautiful race, and all-powerful. Do not think it makes you any lesser than you are now."

Laurel merely shrugged then looked at Lia who was concernedly staring back at her.

"Thank you, Lia. I don't know what would have happened without you."

Lia nodded and smiled. "Well, I consider you a friend." She paused and pretended to be deep in thought. "If you consider the best friend of my only friend's girlfriend my friend, then yeah."

Laurel laughed quite loudly as Wendy and Rose covered their faces with their hands, beet red again. Greatly amused, the veela Gryfindor remarked, "I like you, Lia. I like you quite a lot. We're definitely going to get along. Let's make the rest of the year hell for these lovebirds."

 _Merlin_ , _just great,_ Rose thought, facepalming.

* * *

The four sat in the Great Hall at the Slytherin table, much to the surprise of many. It was quite unusual to find students other than Slytherins, much less Gryffindors, at the green table. The two veela were released from the infirmary after the group's talk with the headmistress. It seemed that Madame Pomfrey could do nothing else for them aside from treat their cuts and bruises. The rest was ultimately up to Lia to teach Laurel on how to better control her emotions.

"You guys are pretty fascinating actually," Rose said, bringing out her 'The Utterly Complete How's and Why's to Creatures' copies, enlarging them then looking for a page. The sound of rushed parchment flipping made Wendy smile as she ate her food.

"Seems you've read it already," Wendy said, sitting beside Rose and lighting up in joy. She peered forward and watched as the Weasley found the page she was looking for — the section about Veela.

"Technically," Rose said, tracing a few lines on the pages in front of her. Her brow furrowed as she recited the book's information. "Veela, at least according to this book, can only transform if they're full-blooded. However, it says that they grow bird-like structures and completely transform into a bird-like creature."

She frowned. "How did you two only partially transform? I mean— you both sprouted wings and had completely silver eyes, but you still had mostly human forms."

Lia smiled, putting down her cup and allowing her eyes to roam the book, perusing its drawings of the menacing veela and endless text. She shook her head, remembering the many books she's read which provided incorrect information about her kind. The more she read from wizard authors, the more she grew more confused about herself. Hence, she was grateful that Apolline was able to indirectly teach her about the ways of the veela through the many books she sent, which were much more accurate.

"Not everything you read in books is correct, Rose. Even part-veela can transform, but only partly, though. We can't grow beaks or fully turn into birds. We only grow some parts of them," she simply said, biting the last piece of bread on her plate.

Rose sighed, closing her book and returning to her food. "Yeah, that's what mum told me, too. Mother knows best after all," she muttered.

Hearing that, Lia looked downcast, playing with a bit of food with her fork.

"Mother knows best, huh?" She whispered to herself.

She looked up to meet Wendy's concerned eyes. She widened her eyes slightly and touched her mouth, feeling for any stain.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

"No, it's..." Wendy replied from across the table, slightly going close to examine her friend's face. "Never mind. We can talk later."

Wendy stuffed herself immediately, averting her gaze from the rest of the group. After a few moments of silence, Lia knew that the group was simply being respectful.

"Wendy, I can talk about it now. I mean, you all already know about my family situation. I'm not really ashamed about it."

After chomping on her last bit of bread and gulping down her last bits of juice, she wiped her mouth and spoke, the rest of the group noticing that her light tone was a bit forced.

"Well yeah, the headmistress found me when I was 3." She said, scratching her head in thought. "She found me in the Great Hall and crying. I was sweating profusely and had a fever, the heat radiating to my head and hair. She said I was quite untouchable for at least an hour. It was only later on that Apolline said it might have been due to my veela blood, burning and all."

"With messy hair and in jumpers, I was wrapped in this really large white coat and a small yellow backpack. On the backpack was my name in embroidery: Lia."

She leaned back and closed her eyes. "Hogwarts was empty at the time since it was on one of the long breaks. Obviously, she didn't know how I got there, considering it was usually locked, and there were no visitors. For weeks, she asked around and tried looking for my parents." The young veela smiled, imagining a Minerva flooing about and calling various wizarding families asking about the young child.

"Of course nobody claimed me. Who would abandon a child then take admit she was theirs and take her back, right?" Rose placed a hand on hers, squeezing it in reassurance. Lia smiled in appreciation.

"She was going to hand me to an orphanage. She was quite the busy witch after all, handling an entire school of uncontrollable teenagers and children. She simply had no time on her hands."

Rose leaned forward, softly asking in curiosity. "What made her decide to take you in?"

Lia laughed as the rest of the group looked at her in confusion. Shaking her head and grinning, she recounted the story from her memories.

.

.

.

.

_Minerva was at the Great Hall, eating by herself at the front as she watched Lia walk up and down the hall. She crawled up the Gryffindor table, a book in hand, then with a bellowing voice, screamed 'Gwyffindor!' The old woman chuckled amusedly as she stood up from her chair, her eyes watching the child now climb up each table and shouting each house's names._

_'Wavenclaw!'_

_'Hufuwpuff!'_

_Minerva laughed quite loudly when the young girl couldn't quite pronounce Slytherin and was rubbing her mouth in annoyance. Jumping up and down, Lia tripped on herself and dropped her book with a thud, before the headmistress caught her mid-air with a levitation spell. Gently, she lowered the child as Lia sat on the floor, stunned with her mouth wide open._

_Minerva warmly smiled. 'Now, now Lia, let's get to bed. We have quite the day ahead of us tomorrow.'_

_With a huff, Lia crossed her arms and walked up to the headmistress, pouting as she held out her hand. The headmistress took Lia's hand, the young girl humming a melody as they walked up the steps of Hogwarts._

.

.

.

.

_At the headmistress' quarters, the two dressed up in their pajamas and sat by the bed. Tomorrow, the headmistress explained to the intently listening Lia, the two were headed to an orphanage for wizards and witches. Minerva personally knew the main caretaker and trusted that Lia would be in good hands. She explained this in the best way possible, emphasizing the much better food at the orphanage, the many friends she would gain there, and the wide-open space in their backyard, which Lia would immensely enjoy to run about._

_However, the headmistress quirked a brow at the slowly diminishing smile of the young girl who looked down with slumped shoulders. She hugged the book in her arms tightly and seemed at a loss of words. Minerva fingercombed Lia's hair, tangled in its bushy tresses, before deciding to brush it._

_'Lia, you'll find a great Mum and Dad before you know it.'_

_The headmistress' eyes slightly widened as Lia grabbed her hand and let go of her book as it fell to the flow. The little girl began mumbling something incoherent. Leaning closer, Minerva placed her hand on the young girl's cheek, surprised to find tears. She lifted the girl's face, finding a crying Lia who was now sniffling._

_'Don't leave me, too,' she whispered between sobs._

_Minerva smiled bitterly, hugging the young girl as she hugged back tightly. She felt her clothes start soaking in tears, but she didn't quite care. It seemed she had quite the child on her hands. Standing up but not letting go of the child's hand, she walked to her desk as Lia followed._

T _he headmistress sat at her desk, bringing up Lia on her lap. She took a parchment and began to write a letter. With curious eyes, Lia watched as Minerva's writing filled the page reading aloud some of the words._

_'changed mind'_

_'Lia will stay'_

_'guardian'_

_Lia frowned at the last word, expectantly looking at the headmistress who put her down. Inking in the last sentences, Minerva folded up the parchment and placed it in an envelope then sealed it. She handed it to her owl and whispered it a few words. After a few moments, the owl flew out in the night as Lia waved it goodbye._

_'Bye bye, Mr. Owl!' She turned to Minerva. 'What does guardian mean?'_

_Minerva simply smiled._

_'It means I'm going to be your mum, Lia.'_

_The little girl jumped up and down, hugging Minerva's legs and laughing. The headmistress bent down and carried the little girl, warmly smiling and tapping Lia's nose. The old woman chuckled._

_'Oh Merlin, if you don't end up a Gryffindor...'_

.

.

.

.

The group sat stunned at the table as Lia finished her story.

Laurel's mouth was wide open as she held a spoon up midway to her mouth, Wendy had a tilted head, and Rose had the widest set of eyes.

"Well, there you go," Lia said, shrugging. "I'm really grateful Mum took me in. I stay at my room even during the breaks and fly all around the grounds when nobody's here."

She chuckled. "Mum couldn't catch me if she tried. If I'm not outside, I'm reading books at the library. Really, Hogwarts has become my home."

She looked far off in the distance, spacing out. "And Mum is really wonderful and kind. I couldn't have asked for a better guardian, but sometimes..." She paused. "Sometimes I wonder how my real parents would've treated me."

The group sat silent, Rose reaching over and holding Lia's hand. Lia smiled, appreciating the gesture.

"After we're out of here," Rose whispered. "Let's look for your parents, alright? I'll ask Mum and Aunt Fleur for help. I'm sure they have connections among the veela."

Lia's eyes lit up as she looked down. She smiled.

"Thanks," she replied back.

Shaking her head, she drank a bit of juice. "Well, enough of the sadness, alright? Now... what do you guys think of Mum?"

Wendy spoke first.

"I didn't know the headmistress was such a softie. And damn, so I'm surrounded by a bunch of Gryffindors, then," looking around herself and pointing at each of the 3 with her finger then wrinkling her face in disgust.

Lia chuckled, raising a fork at her friend. "Well, I'm still in Slytherin, Wendy — even with my Gryffindor bravery and Ravenclaw wits. Those two houses probably wouldn't be able to handle me because I had too much of both. Hence, you got yourselves a mediocre Slytherin." She put a thumb to her heart for effect, chest out and with pouted lips.

The group laughed then continued to talk about their subjects for the day, with Wendy and Rose handing notes to the other 2. While Lia's eyes lit up and immediately thanked the pair, appreciating Rose's complete notes, Laurel buried her face in her hands exaggeratingly groaning and hitting her head on the table.

The grim Gryffindor slowly put her face up then hesitantly, she tapped Rose and motioned her to go closer for a whisper. The other 2 had raised brows but ignored them, continuing to talk about potions.

"Can we talk later?"

"Sure, what about?"

Laurel gulped, dropping her voice to an even softer whisper. Rose had to lean closer to better hear. "Uh, I might have been the one to set fire to your bag."

"What?!" Rose exclaimed as she straightened her back. "Why?"

"Shut up. Not now." She grumbled out. She ignored the confused looks around the table as she stuffed herself again with pork chops and averted her eyes. She spotted a faraway Hugo at the Gryffindor table, evidently looking for his sister from each table's end.

Laurel smiled, amused. She waved her hand up high, shouting and jolting the group in surprise, "Hugo Weasley, my favorite Weasley! Over here!"

Rose covered her friend's mouth in frustration as Laurel struggled, mumbling a quick " _be quiet, you idiot!"_ as her brother approached the table with a confused look. He did a quick look around the group and then shyly sat by his sister, elbowing Rose as he muttered a quick "so this is where you've been." Before Rose could retort, Hugo fumbled for something within his robes, bringing out a familiar chocolate frog box. Hesitantly, he handed it over to a confused Lia.

"That for me?" she asked, wiping her mouth and receiving the box.

"Yeah, as a thank you gift for that time. You know, saving me from the Ravenclaw bullies."

Rose's eyes rose as she snapped her head to Hugo. "Bullies? Why didn't you call me? I gave you that locket for a reason, Hugo."

"Yeah, I— I know," he replied, biting his lip. "I would've called you, but uh— when they started talking about you, it kind of got to me." He winced as he watched his sister's furrow a brow.

"Sorry. Although..." He dropped his voice to a whisper. "Lia's wandless and wordless magic made them think I did it all. So they won't even come near me, really."

Hugo glanced back to the Ravenclaw table, his eyes scanning for a familiar group. Once his eyes landed on the bullies, the group quickly turned away in fear, and they quickly went out the hall. Rose watched, obviously impressed.

Lia glanced at the chocolate box still in her hands. Noticing that the rest of the group was expecting her to open it, she rolled her eyes.

"Fine, I'll open it. Geez."

Carefully, she opened the box, finding the chocolate frog, which immediately jumped out towards Laurel who shrieked in surprise. Laughing, she took out the card and peered at it curiously. Her brows rose, and the two Weasleys exclaimed.

"Are you joking me?!"

"Bloody hell!"

In Lia's hands was their mother's chocolate frog card, deemed to be one of the rarest cards to possess. Hermione Granger stared back at the group with a warm smile. Lia glanced at the card and read its description aloud.

"Hermione Jean Granger, known as the Brightest Witch of Her Age, was part of the Golden trio with Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley that proved to be essential in the fall of Voldemort. She formerly served as Minister of Magic and is presently head of Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. She enjoys reading during her spare time."

Lia looked to Hugo, and without a second thought, immediately placed the card in his hands. The boy looked up in shock.

"Keep it, it looks like you really wanted the card."

Hugo shook his head, smiling bitterly and handing back the card.

"Keep it, I insist. I want to thank you properly, you know? And blimey, the card's probably with you for a good reason." He gave a devilish smile to his sister. "You might just become the next Brightest Witch of Her Age. Who knows? You might even solve that bloody Argenti case even Mum's having a hard time solving."

Rose rolled her eyes, calling Hugo a brat under her breath. Lia smiled and thanked Hugo. After keeping her card, she gulped down the rest of her juice, stood up and started walking away. She turned back slightly to the group.

"Anybody care to join me in my walk? I need to lose some of the 3 servings of meat I ate," she said, holding back a burp and holding her belly.

"I'll go with you," Rose said, standing up from her seat and walking with Lia. "I'm done with my food anyway. Leave the 2 gluttons to eat another 3 servings." The two chuckled as they left, with backward looks as they watched Wendy and Laurel bicker over the last of the pork chops.

* * *

_Dear Mum,_

_The last few days have been the most hectic. I don't even know where to begin._

_Apparently, both my rival and best friend are part-veela. Crazy, right? Also, you were right with trusting Lia. It turns out that she didn't set fire to my bags, but Laurel did... which honestly just makes everything more confusing, but I'll hear her out soon._

_Laurel will have to undergo some sort of training with Lia, and she'll be needing to control her emotions better to 'keep her veela in.' (Honestly, I'm just nodding along to what Lia says, but for the most part, I don't get half of what's happening. When I ask questions that seem to probe in on their culture, Lia just makes a zipper motion across her mouth, simply saying 'veela secrets.' Ugh.)_

_Also, why do I have the hunch that you already knew that the headmistress was Lia's mother? Honestly, just tell me next time! It really came off as a surprise. I mean, who knew? That girl's literally been the most closed off person I've known like... all of my stay at Hogwarts, except for this year of course. I'm glad she's been opening up to us— us meaning me and Laurel. She's actually quite the confident girl when you get to know her, and I get why she could've been placed in Gryffindor (but you knew that too, didn't you?). Jumping in front of an uncontrollable veela undergoing transformation for the first time... that was quite the scene to watch._

_I understand you might still be busy with the Argenti case (hence the lateness in letters). Don't worry about it, you can reply anytime. I just hope you're doing alright. Don't fight much with Aunt Fleur (I still can't believe she's your neighbor. Heavens, you both are going to die.), and update me with what's happening. Love you lots._

_Still in shock,_

_Rose_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHA did you guys see it coming that McGonagall was Lia's mum in the past chapters? What did you guys think? :0 
> 
> Thanks for reading <3


	15. Magic Numbers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i wrote this while slightly inebriated excuse me T_____T and sorry i think your heads are already exploding with all the details xD

After one long-distance floo to France then a few short apparitions, Victoire and Hermione were now wandering the Catalan Pyrenees Regional National Park, bordering Spain and France. Victoire explained that most of the veela families belonged to either country, hence, there was a need for a protected area accessible to both Spain and France. Although the Ministry urged the Golden Girl to take at least 1 or 2 more officials to join them, Hermione knew that pushing her luck with more than one non-veela in sacred ground was pushing her luck.

The two avoided the tourists wandering the park as Victoire brought them to much more secluded areas hidden in plain sight. They entered a large tree which served an entrance similar to Platform 11 3/4, went into a small waterfall (not getting a single drop of water on themselves, much to Hermione's surprise), and went into a restricted area deemed "dangerous." A concealing charm hid many of the routes they took as the wide-open spaces of the park started disappearing. Instead, thick groups of trees started appearing, almost as if blocking the paths of unwanted visitors.

Before they knew it, the sun started to set as the sky took on a reddish hue. The two decided to set up camp in a nearby clearing. As Hermione looked around, she realized how much the scenery had changed. Indeed, the Pyrenees were quite the sight, but this sight was much more ethereal in comparison. A river flowed nearby as its waters thrashed against rocks. The leaves of the trees were slightly swaying with the soft wind blowing, reflecting red and orange hues which added an ethereal sort of glow to the area. The birds seemed to chirp in exchanges, creating a cacophony of sounds and forming a calming melody.

As the two set up the tent with their wands, Hermione was impressed by Victoire's display of magic, performing not just wandless but also wordless magic with ease in fixing the camp. Soon, the tent was completely put up, and a bonfire was prepared, just in time as night fell completely.

While Victoire prepared the bonfire, Hermione sat nearby as she read her letters from Rose, reading about. She chuckled, catching Victoire's attention.

"It seems we aren't the one with veela problems. 2 of Rose's friends are veelas and caused a ruckus."

Victoire sat across Hermione.

"Who are they?"

Hermione smiled. "Lia Evernight and Laurel Chaves. Lia's being taken care of Minerva and gets advice from your grandmother about bringing up a veela. It seems Rose has finally found out about Minerva being Lia's guardian, too. Took her long enough."

"Oh," Victoire said, scratching her head. "Well, I know Grandmaman does keep in contact with lots of non-veela families. I didn't know one was at Hogwarts."

Victoire sat in silence then raised a brow, obviously puzzled.

"Wait did you say, Laurel Chaves?"

"Chaves, yes."

"Oh, she's a Chaves," Victoire simply said, holding her chin in thought. "Their family has quite the powerful veela, although for the past generations... some of them have started the practice of sealing their veela away. "

"What?!"

"Yeah, the family's been distancing themselves from the clan to try better integrating themselves within society, which is acceptable I guess. But they have this backward practice of not even telling their children about their heritage. Almost all of them seal their veela away when they're children. It could have nasty side-effects, really. A lot of them are quite sickly."

Victoire pursed her lips together and sighed. "But I guess Laurel's veela was able to break the seal. No wonder she didn't have control over her veela. Poor kid."

Hermione nodded grimly. She would have to tell Rose about this in her next letter. She brought out a bit of parchment and started writing. Victoire warmly watched Hermione write fondly to her daughter as she pursed her lips together while thinking of the words to say. Carefully, Hermione folded the parchment and placed it in an envelope.

Then, the Golden Girl opened another envelope from her parents. She slowly read through the letter as Victoire prepared a few barbecue skewers to roast over the fire. Hermione was pleased to hear that their conditions were slightly getting better. She'd been preparing memory potions for the two to consume daily since the two were starting to get symptoms of Alzheimer's. It didn't help that Hermione once had to wipe their memories during the war as this sped up the Alzheimer's effects in the long-run.

As she continued to read the letter, Hermione smiled as she read about their morning coffee dates at nearby coffee shops and watching Netflix close to every night. They talked about their aiding one another in their Alzheimer's as well, with both of them labeling items in the house with memories and patiently reminding one another of even their most mundane experiences.

She bitterly smiled. Deep in her heart, she sort of longed for that kind of marriage, a partnership really. She wanted a sort of love where both supported one another and treated all the little things as important.

_I sort of wish I had that kind of love._

She looked back on her marriage with Ron. The two were quite busy, whatnot with Hermione's political career and Ron's large part in George's business. Although they ensured to make time for one another, it almost always ended up in fighting and bickering. While Hermione supported Ron in his endeavors, encouraging him to even leave the Auror Office to pursue his passionsin George's business, she always felt like she was held back by her former husband. She remembered the first time she told Ron she wanted to run for Minister of Magic.

.

.

.

_"Ron, I wanted to talk about something important."_

_They were at the living room as Ron was watching a Quidditch match and Hermione was reading a book in the corner. The 2 children were outside the house, trying out a new set of firecrackers._

_"Yeah, go ahead," he replied, seemingly not listening as he continued to watch the match on their TV. "I'm listening."_

_Hermione pursed her lips, closing her book and sitting nearer to Ron. "I want to run for Minister of Magic. No, I'm going to."_

_Ron's head snapped to Hermione, his eyes widened in surprise._

_"Are you sure?" He asked, his brows furrowing. "That's a pretty tall order, 'Mione."_

_"Very. I've been thinking about it for the past few weeks, and I really want to enact change with—"_

_"Wait, wait, wait. You've been thinking about it for weeks? Why didn't you tell me earlier?" He said, turning his entire body to his wife._

_"Well, I am talking about it with you now, right?"_

_He remained silent. "Fair enough. But really... aren't you satisfied with your current position? I mean you're Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. You've already risen up the ranks by... a lot." He chuckled, standing up and moving to the kitchen._

_Hermione sighed, standing and following her husband. He watched as he got a glass of water and started drinking._

" _Yes, but I just think I can do more for the Ministry, you know? I feel like I've done all that I could in the department. All the laws I think are necessary for muggleborns and half-bloods have already been in place."_

_"So why not relax, Hermione? I mean," he chuckled nervously. "Leave some for the rest of us, you know?"_

_Oh._

_She looked intently at Ron's nervous eyes and opened her mouth before closing them again._

_What?_

_"What's this about, Ron?" She asked calmly, taking a deep breath in._

_"Nothing."_

_"No, there's something you're not telling me. What's the problem with me running for Minister?"_

_He remained silent._

_She pushed on. "You know that I could create big change. You know I could do it. Why not go for it, right?"_

_Ron sighed, rubbing his temple as he placed down his glass._

_"Because Hermione... you have done enough, alright?"_

_"But I haven't."_

_"Enough is enough. You don't need to do anymore."_

_"Why?" Hermione asked, exasperated as she walked closer to Ron._

_"Just— Just stop. Alright, we don't need to do so much. You've already helped Harry in defeating Voldemort, joined the Ministry in the Department for Regulation of Creatures—"_

_"Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures," she corrected, her eyes narrowing._

_"Yeah, that. Blimey! Now you're the Deputy Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which I was under for a time before you told me to leave the Auror Office"_

_"I didn't tell you to leave, Ronald," Hermione bit back, her eyes steely. "I told you to follow your passions! You were miserable— "_

_"And now," Ron interrupted, his eyes slightly wider. "You want to run for Minister?" He laughed somberly, shaking his head. "Wow, Hermione that is enough. What would they think of me, huh?"_

_Hermione's eyes flamed in anger. "Oh, so you're telling me not to run for Minister because of your stupid insecurities? You actually care what the public thinks about you?"_

_"Just think of the headlines," he said, placing his hands up for effect. "Hermione Weasley becomes new Minister of Magic. Husband Ronald Weasley, a failure of an auror, left at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Bloody hell!"_

_Hermione blinked back tears, speechless. Was he being serious right now?_

_"I don't have time for this," she whispered, walking out the kitchen and taking her coat from a rack. She stomped outside as her kids watched Ron follow their mother out the house._

_"Where are you going? We're not done talking," Ron called out, grabbing Hermione's arm. Hermione immediately shook free of his grip, walking past the wards of the house and down the street. Slightly looking back, she saw her kids watch their parents confusedly._

_"Ron, if you have an issue with your insecurities, even with me, your bloody wife—" She was seething with anger. "Then that's your problem, not mine."_

_She looked back at her Rose and Hugo, still with firecrackers in their hands. She exhaled a deep breath. "I'll be back, I just need some time alone."_

_With that, she went into the nearest alley and apparated away._

.

.

.

She shook herself out of her thoughts, willing herself to pack away the letters then joining Victoire in preparing their meals, bringing out a few packed sandwiches. The two sat by the fire and began conversing about the Argenti case and their journey to the hidden lands of the veela. Hermione gazed in wonder at the nature around her.

Hermione wasn't a stranger to the marvel of nature's beauty as she used to frequent other forests and lands around Britain as a ministry official. However, she couldn't quite point out why this scenery was different by bounds — it was magical in the sense that it tugged at her heartstrings and emptied her mind save for the simple sounds around her.

In other words, she felt like she was in a different world.

Victoire smiled at Hermione's face, which was in awe as her eyes lit up in wonder. "I feel like you'll love it there, Aunt Hermione. This is nothing compared to what's to come."

"Really now?" Hermione asked with her brows completely raised.

"Really. The closer we get to veela grounds, the more magical the surroundings become. The changes are very subtle, like the vibrating sounds of magic pulsing in the air, the brighter gleam of moonlight or sunlight on leaves, the sweeter chirping of birds — things like that."

Victoire stared off into the forests beyond, evidently thinking as she pursed her lips together.

"I— I can't really give justice to how beautiful the veela area is. I'm really glad you have a good excuse to go there, even as a non-veela. I just wish..." She trailed off, looking back at her aunt who was listening intently. "I just wish it were under better circumstances."

Hermione nodded and remained silent as Victoire looked down. Her niece obviously had more to say. She handed Victoire a cooked skewer and smiled.

"Maman's obviously been acting strangely," she continued, taking a sip of her tea from her mug. it had grown much colder over the past few minutes as the breeze played on their clothes. The moonlight shone above the pair almost directly overhead as if listening in on their conversation. "But for sure," she said, snapping her head to her aunt. "For sure she doesn't hate you."

Hermione sat silent as she thrummed her fingers on her mug. She searched for any sign of a lie in Victoire's eyes, any sign that maybe she was wrong. But all she saw was certainty.

"How do you know?" She asked silently after a few seconds. All Hermione could think of was her last exchange with Fleur— heated and passive and angry and caring and confusing. The more she thought she understood Fleur, the blonde would do something unexpected, and Hermione would suddenly be two steps behind in her quest to understanding the mysterious veela.

"Because you're all she talks about, Aunt Hermione," Victoire replied, wandlessly and wordlessly stoked the fire and its flames burned slightly brighter. Her blue eyes gleamed with shades of reds and oranges as an owl hooted in the distance. "When you became Minister, she wouldn't keep her mouth shut every dinner at home. She boasts about you every chance she gets, too. When her coworkers at Gringotts opposed the laws you passed about providing opportunities for half-bloods and muggleborns, she set one of their desks to flames! I don't how she ended up not getting fired from her job, honestly."

"Why... why would she be like that if all I've done was be so mean to her? It's literally been decades since we first met, and I've just been acting like a childish prat all this time," Hermione grumbled out, burying her face in her hands and huffing. "It just doesn't make any sense. Merlin, nothing with your mother makes sense."

Victoire smiled bitterly, holding Hermione's hand and meeting her gaze. "Then let's hope that this trip will change things, hmm?"

* * *

Hermione woke up, violently screaming and in a cold sweat. Victoire was beside her, her eyes wide in fear as her hand was on Hermione's forehead. The older witch shook her head and took deep breaths.

_Just a dream, just a dream. Merlin, I thought the nightmares were over!_

She drank a glass of water and calmed herself down slowly. After a few minutes, she reassured Victoire that she was alright. The part-veela left after several rounds of convincing, and Hermione quickly pulled the covers on herself, burying any sort of negative thoughts and willing herself to sleep.

.

.

.

The next morning, the two gathered their supplies and once again set forth to their destination. As Hermione looked around, all she could think of was how Victoire was right about the increase in magical energy all around.

She felt her pulse quicken and slow with the light dancing around her, as if someone were creating music with the surrounding energy. Her steps became lighter as the grass felt noticeably softer and acted as if they subtly curled around her feet. She could have sworn that an orchestra of music was silently playing in the back of her mind, but no, that was just the sound of simple chirping.

Hermione had a thought.

"Victoire?"

"Yes?"

"Would Fleur be using the same route as us?"

Victoire smiled, shaking her head.

"No, she will probably be using a shorter route. I'm traveling this route with you because you're not a veela. Hence, we'd need a route that's safer, but in the process, we take more roundabout paths rather than the direct path. If we get there in 2 days by foot, she'll probably get there in half."

Hermione frowned. _Damn it. So she'll have time to escape if needed. We better hurry._

Her thoughts were interrupted by the ringing of her phone.

_Wow, signal reaches here?_

She opened her phone to find an incoming call from Harry. She answered.

"Hello? Harry?"

"How's the journey to the super secret hidden land of the veela?"

She chuckled, taking care not to trip on a rock as she stepped forward.

"It's going well so far. The forests leading up to the site are so beautiful, Harry. I wish you could see it."

"I wish I could too."

"What did you need? I'm sure this call isn't just to check in on my adventures."

She heard Harry laugh from the other end of the line.

"Fine, caught me red-handed." His tone turned more serious. "I did what you told me to do with heating up the carbon on the Argenti."

Hermione's ears perked up as she stopped in her tracks, motioning for Victoire to stop for a bit. Victoire nodded, sitting on a tree stump as she waited.

"I'm listening."

"Right, they turned to diamonds like you said. Then we used the global tree to try tracking any magical trace. Although faint, we found 3 new Argenti signatures."

_3?_ Hermione thought to herself. _That makes sense, given it's a magic number._

"But Hermione, these 3 are quite odd. I mean, aside from them being veela."

"What is it?"

"First, they appeared at a much earlier date, specifically on July 7, 1993."

_1993?! That was how many decades ago? I wasn't even a third year by then!_

Hermione's was mind kicking up in its gears and whirling in full speed. How was this possible?

"That doesn't make sense, Harry. The Argenti only started appearing daily with March 23, 2021! There were no other reports of Argenti before that!" She exclaimed as Victoire turned to her with a curious gaze and stood up from her stump. Hermione's companion crossed her arms and leaned back on a tree, intently listening.

Exasperated, she continued as she paced back and forth.

"Harry are you sure?"

"Positive. I made them run retests because of how unlikely the date was. Everything turned out the same."

Hermione sighed as she rubbed her temple. "Alright, when you talk to the Argenti, can you schedule a meeting with me? I want to talk to them."

"Sure, I'll update you. We couldn't find the exact locations yet, but the global tree's working its magic. It just needs time because of how long ago they appeared."

"Alright, thanks. What else is weird about them?

"Err— I don't really know how to explain it, but..." Harry started hesitantly. "The third Argenti's magical signature seems... dead? Like we know there were 3 Argenti who were supposed to appear in 1993, but we can't seem to fully see the 3rd one. We can only trace fragments of them as if they didn't fully materialize— almost as if they vanished in mid-air."

Hermione's head started hurting slightly as she furrowed her brow. _What was this? Some kind of a sick joke? How could someone disappear mid-travel? And where would they even end up?_

"They'd probably be dead then, right?" Hermione asked.

"I'm not quite sure, to be honest."

She sighed. "Is that all, Harry? Or is there any other weird thing?"

"That's all. No other weird thing... thankfully."

"Alright, thanks Harry. Keep safe. I'll contact you when I'm on veela land. Bye."

"Keep safe, too, and good luck. Merlin, help us with this case. Bye."

Hermione clicked her phone shut and released a deep breath. She felt her pulse race as she thought of all the details that Harry told her. _Stop stressing. This case is really just unnaturally weird. Breathe. Count._

"One is true silver, two are golden, and three are bronze," she chanted aloud, slowing her breathing.

She opened her eyes to a curious Victoire. Hermione shook her head and stepped forward, retracing Victoire's steps. She tapped her companion and motioned her in the direction they were moving towards earlier.

"You were going this way? How lo—"

"March 23, 2021," Victoire interrupted.

"What?" Hermione asked confused, turning back to Victoire.

"You said March 23, 2021, right?" she asked, looking intently at Hermione then biting her lip in concentration. Her eyes filled with worry.

"What about it, Victoire?"

"March 23, 2021 was the day my parents divorced."


	16. New Ties

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a bit of a light chapter lol

Rose and Lia were walking through the halls towards the middle courtyard. However, upon finding the courtyard packed with students, Lia pulled the Gryffindor in the opposite direction.

After a few moments of silently walking, the two ended up near the lake, with Lia waving her hand to summon a bench for them to sit. Rose's brow rose in wonder as she slightly frowned at her rival's capabilities, a soft blow on her pride as she knew she wasn't quite up to par with her skills. As if reading Rose's mind, Lia patted the seat beside her. She spoke.

"I'm not that great. You're still quite better at potions than I am."

The two sat in awkward silence as Rose tried to form the words she wanted to say in her head. She came because she wanted to properly apologize for her rude behavior. It was easier said than done, though. _Come on, Rose. Where's your Gryffindor courage?_ She took a deep breath.

"Lia, I'm so sorr—"

"I'm sorry for—"

The two blinked for a moment and stared at one another with widened eyes. After a few seconds, they burst into loud and amused laughter. With tears in her eyes, Lia motioned for Rose to continue.

"You go first," she said, chuckling.

"I was going to say," Rose started, completely facing Lia who listened intently. She spoke rapidly and shyly. "I'm sorry for being such a prat. I'm sorry for being mean and overly competitive sometimes. Also, I know now that you didn't cause the fire in my bag. Laurel told me. I'm sorry for lashing out on you."

Lia blinked, speechless. Then, she solemnly nodded and smiled. "I accept your apology. But I'm sorry too— for not telling you earlier about Laurel while you worried sick. I know how much you care about your friends."

Rose shook her head. "There's nothing to apologize for in that case. I should be thanking you for stopping her in her transformation. I really can't thank you enough. Who knows what would have happened if you didn't stop her?"

"The entire Slytherin dungeon and nearby parts would probably be up in flames."

"Exactly."

"Oh, I am so great after all," Lia replied cheekily, exaggeratingly flipping her hair and with a twinkle in her eye.

Rose jokingly rolled her eyes and chuckled. "Oh you nasty veela, you can be quite full of yourself too when you want, hmm?"

"Oh, but I'm going to become the Brightest Witch of Our Age soon?" She remarked with a smirk. She made a show of flipping her hair and putting her chin up.

"Hey!" Rose exclaimed, laughing as she shoved a giggling Lia. "I'm taking that title," the Gryffindor said while pouting. After a few seconds, she smiled in amusement as she resumed her seat, looking over the open space in front of the pair.

"But in all seriousness, Lia, you should come over with Hugo and I sometime when break starts. You'd probably enjoy discussing things with Mum about creatures and veela..." She trailed off, realizing she had to correct herself. She shook her head.

"Oh, I mean. Probably just with me."

Lia frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, you know— my parents divorced," Rose replied softly, averting her gaze from the curious part-veela. A soft breeze blew the Gryffindor's ginger hair as she struggled to pat it back down. Lia held her jet-black lock up and tied it in a ponytail.

"I'm sorry," Lia said seriously with concerned eyes.

"No, it's alright. I'm pretty much over it," Rose replied, letting out a large huff then stretching her arms upwards. "You can come with me because I'll be living with my Mum in her new apartment soon. And besides, she lives beside Aunt Fleur, so you can probably drop by, and you know... talk about your super secret veela culture."

Lia chuckled. "Your Aunt Fleur is Apolline's daughter, right?"

"Yep."

Rose fumbled through her inner robes then took out a photo. She handed it to Lia who examined it curiously. It was a family photo of all the Weasleys from years ago at a party.

"That's my family. It was at one of the Delacour parties they threw a couple of years ago. See, here's me, Hugo, Mum, and Dad," Rose said, pointing at her family on the left side. "There's Albus, James, and Lily with their parents, then — ugh why are we so many! — Here's Aunt Fleur and her ex-husband Bill with Louis, Dominique, and Victoire. Behind Aunt Fleur is Apolline," pointing at the right side.

Lia pondered on this before standing up and patting down her clothes. "I'll have to thank them all properly. Apolline's sent in so much books and veela items that helped with my upbringing. Merlin knows what would have happened if the headmistre— Mum," she shook her head. "If Mum were the only one who brought me up."

"So..." Rose replied, putting her finger to her chin and pursing her lips, pretending to be in deep thought. "Your Mum's the Great Minerva McGonagall, your veela caretaker's the Delacour clan's head Apolline Delacour, and you have no idea whatsoever who your parents are?"

"Well said."

"Damn, you make my family life seem like nothing compared to yours."

"Oh, but on the contrary, you're the first daughter of the Golden Trio's Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. I think that's a feat in itself," Lia remarked, getting her Chocolate Frog Card of Hermione from her robes, showing it to Rose as if to prove her point. "Chocolate Frog Cards don't quite lie. It's one of the greatest achievements, after all."

Rose chuckled. "It comes with a lot of pressure."

"Then stop pressuring yourself, Weasley."

"Easier said than done when you have a rival who excels in almost everything," Rose replied, rolling her eyes and standing up.

"Fair enough," Lia replied, before stopping to think. She placed the card back in her robes and allowed herself to feel the breeze in her face.With a twinkle in her eye, she asked, "Say, would it help if we stopped addressing each other as rivals?"

The Gryffindor rose a brow, putting her hands in her pockets. "And what do you propose? Friends?"

"I mean, if I'm best friends with Wendy, and you're best friends with Laurel. Then Wendy's blonde buddies with Laurel—"

"Blonde buddies?"

"Yes. Blonde buddies... or gluttony buddies. Both would work. Then, I'm flock buddies with Laurel—"

"Flock buddies?"

"Come on, you want me to say veela kindred or blood buddies? Anyway, oh, and you're going to be Wendy's girlfriend—"

"We're not dating yet."

"Yet, you idiot. Yet. Just bloody ask her out already because she has no guts to," Lia said, rubbing her temple in frustration. "Do you know how many times I've had to listen to her talk about your 'pretty face' and 'amazing skills?'" Then she added in a whisper, "I have more skills than you ever will..."

"Hey! What ever happened to the shy Lia I've known for years?" Rose crossed her arms and mocked anger. It was different seeing this side of Lia. Over the years, she was quite the reserved witch who mostly kept to herself and her books, only to be seen in the corner of the library alone. It was one thing to see her hanging around Wendy at the start of this year. It was a whole other thing to find Lia to be quite the proud and mischievous witch as well. Even with their rivalry, Lia was usually the soft-spoken one, so seeing her like this was something that Rose admittedly needed to get used to.

"She's gone now that you know close to everything about me," she replied curtly. "But anyways, we need some sort of unique relationship, too, Weasley. And I'm not going to settle with just friends because that's too boring."

Rose blinked. "You— what?"

"Come on, so the ties are all complete."

_Oh, what the hell. Who knew Lia could be so ridiculous?_

"Oh, I don't know," Rose said, putting hands in her pockets and looking up to the sky. She could distinctly hear the warning bell ringing, signalling that the two had to get to Charms class soon. "How about... the smart sisters?"

Lia stared at her, dumbstruck.

"You're kidding me, right?"

"....no?"

Lia blankly stared at her before she chortled then burst in laughter and fell to the grass, hugging her stomach as her laughs filled the air. Annoyed, Rose kicked her and walked away, not without sending a spell that tickled Lia— a spell of her own creation since it couldn't be undone unless the spellcaster stopped it. She smirked as she turned her back on a now overly-giggling Lia on the grass who was rolling over in a fit of uncontrollable laughter.

"Idiot, don't HAHAHA— what the hell! What kind of a spell HAHAHA— Why can't I— STOP IT, ROSE!" She screamed, tears forming in her eyes from pain from too much laughter.

With a flick of her wand, Rose undid the spell as Lia lay breathing heavily on the grass. She watched Lia stare blankly at the sky and remain silent for a minute. Rose merely watched while chuckling.

"I can't believe you just did that, Rose."

"You laughed at it. I was being serious."

Lia stood up, picking out the grass from her hair, muttering something about going to Charms with greenery stuck in her locks. Rolling her eyes, Rose bent down and helped Lia pick out the grass in her hair. _Wow, there are so many. She must have gotten the full effects of the spell, then,_ she thought proudly.

"I can hear what you're thinking, sis. Stop being proud of your annoying spell," she said, spitting out grass.

Rose chuckled. "Well look who the cow is now, hmm? And you're okay with being sisters, did I hear that correctly?"

"Yeah. On second thought, I like the ring of being your sister. With our dysfunctional families and all, it does make sense to have a support system... or you know, somebody who quite understands at least a bit of how I feel," she said, warmly smiling.

"I mean, I love Wendy and all," Lia continued, patting off the grass and standing up. "But she has quite the great functional family, with her being a Griffiths and all." She paused then seemed to have a revelation as her brows raised. "Hey, that just made me realize... but if you end up marrying Wendy, your kids would have past Ministers of Magic as their grandmothers."

"Lia!" Rose exclaimed, madly blushing and hitting Lia's shoulder.

The Slytherin smiled, standing up and grabbing her bag. She ran towards the castle once more. "Come on, we're going to be late for Charms," she called out, already paces ahead of Rose and her laugh filling the halls. Rose rolled her eyes as she ran after the veela, grinning from ear-to-ear as she hurled a slowing spell at the veela but missing by inches as the latter turned a corner.

"Too slow!"

"Merlin, you're way too fast!" Rose called out, beginning to tire from running as she held her knees.

"It's just the veela genes, Rose!"

.

.

.

Lia arrived earlier at the Charms classroom, immediately taking the front seat then placing her bag on the seat to her right. The room soon began to fill with students as Albus and Scorpius took their seats behind Lia. They looked to Lia's bag, confused.

"Wendy's not taking Charms this year, right?" Albus asked, pointing at the bag.

Lia turned around, and with a grin, replied. "Nope."

She turned back to the front and started fixing her parchments and quills, ignoring the puzzled faces of the two boys. They merely shrugged. The room began to fill save for the last row of empty chairs at the back. Professor Flitwick went into the room and started fixing his things at the front desk.

Rose soon arrived, completely drenched in sweat and panting as she looked around the filled classroom. As she approached one of the last row seats, Lia waved and motioned to the seat beside her with her bag. Rose appreciatively smiled.

She walked to the front and sat beside Lia, much to the confusion of the Slytherins behind her. With a mouthed thanks to Lia, she arranged her books and parchment in front of her. The prodigy pair heard murmurs behind them as they silently chuckled to themselves.

"Al, is the world going to end soon?" Scorpius whispered.

"I don't know, Scorpius. I just hope we get to make it to the Quidditch match tomorrow. I already made my bets with Lily." He gulped. "3 galleons."

"That was supposed to be our date money for the first weekend, Al! Now we really need to win that game!" Scorpius exclaimed a little too loudly, catching the attention of the professor.

The two snapped their heads to a slightly annoyed Professor Flitwick as he crossed his arms and furrowed his brows.

"As much as you'd like all of us to hear your, erm, lack of relationship finances Mr. Potter and Mr. Malfoy..." The class snickered, with Rose and Lia holding back their laughter as they held their mouths. "Please keep your problems to yourselves, so we can keep the classroom a conducive space for learning. I'll begin class now."

Albus and Scorpius had quite the high marks for Charms that day.

* * *

Later on, after Charms and the rest of the day's classes, the four girls climbed up the winding stairs of Hogwarts, following Rose as she led the group to the seventh floor. Despite their endless questions about where they were going, she remained silent, only stopping in front of a wall. She walked in front of it thrice as she closed her eyes and furrowed her brows in concentration.

"Rose, come on you could at least tell us—"

Laurel, Lia, and Wendy were dumbfounded to find a door appear almost out of thin air in front of a now grinning Rose Weasley. She opened it, then motioned the group to follow her inside.

The group, including Rose, stared in awe at the room before them. It was similar to an arena, with its large space, four corners, fireproof practice dummies, steel plates, durable metal floor, and targets on the side. A large fireplace with blue flames stood at the center of the far end of the room, lighting up a large wooden board with writing in seemingly indecipherable text. Two large sets of text were written on the board.

"Wow, what is this place, Rose?" Lia asked, walking to the center of the room and looking around.

"It's the Room of Requirement," she replied, walking to one corner of the room. It had 2 couches for 4 people around a small rectangular table. She sat and leaned back. "Mum and Dad talked about how they used this room to train against Voldemort when they were still at Hogwarts. You simply need to walk at that area we came from 3 times and clearly think of what you need.

They smiled at the silver and gold tapestry and ornaments adorning the walls, obviously a means to represent both Gryffindor and Slytherin.

"What did you think of?" Wendy called out from another corner that was filled with a pile of soft pillows. She lay down and sank down into the piles. Her muffled voice came out. "A battleground?"

Rose chuckled, shaking her head, watching Laurel approach another corner with rows of robes and clothes over flames, seemingly not burning. "Nope, I wanted a room to help us with Lia and Laurel's veela situation, aside from Lia's room of course. I just found it too dangerous considering how it was filled with items and was generally small."

"Damn, fireproof clothing," Laurel remarked, holding up a shirt and placing it directly on top of the fire below. "This is some next level stuff, Rose."

Lia stood by the large board by the fireplace, staring and murmuring to herself. "This is veela text!" She grabbed a notebook from her robes and quickly jotted down the symbols. Although she couldn't quite understand all of the symbols just yet, she slowly read the first line overlooking all the others.

_Only those who are worthy can find the silver truth._

Rose walked to the last corner, finding rows of books and labeled potions. Carefully reading the titles, she was pleased to find a wide variety of books about veela. Lia soon joined her, picking a book about veela languages. Her eyes widened.

"Wow, some of these books I've never seen before. They're sure to come in useful," she said, excitedly moving back to the corner with the couch to read the book and decipher the board's texts.

Rose now looked through the potions and vials — mostly healing and calming potions — when she came across one that piqued her interest.

"What's this?"

She held up the flask filled with bright orange liquid and read the label.

"Veela suppressor? _"_

"I think that's the one my parents were making me drink," Laurel said from behind Rose, frowning.

"They always told me it was to keep me from being sickly, but... now I know it was to hide the monster within me."

Rose abruptly turned around and held her friend by the shoulders, slightly shaking her as if to jolt her awake. "Stop saying you're a monster. You're not a monster, Laurel."

Rose tried finding Laurel's eyes, but the part-veela had a downward gaze, frowning.

Lia approached, patting Rose and slowly pulling her away. "Give her time. I'll teach her our ways, and she'll have her eyes open before we know it." She motioned around to the room to all its decorations and unique items, grinning. "With a room like this, I guarantee it in 2 months."

Rose chuckled. "2 months, Lia? That's supposed to impress me? Make it less than a month... like before the first Hogsmeade weekend."

Lia grinned. "Deal."

With her eyes turning silver and with a flame suddenly in hand, she threw fire towards the targets, the 3 others jumping in surprise.

"Class with Professor Evernight begins now."


	17. Second Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope all of you are safe, especially if you're in America or Syria! Please stay at home :(

"Victoire, what are you talking about?"

"Their divorces, both legal and veela, were on March 23."

Hermione blinked. "Legal and veela divorce are two different things?"

"Yes, it's a completely different thing," Victoire replied, bringing away a stray branch in front of her as she navigated through the forest. "The legal divorce of the couple will separate the two individuals' names at the global tree at the Ministry such that they won't be connected anymore maritally."

Hermione nodded.

"But Aunt Hermione, when a couple which includes a veela wants to divorce, they need to be separated by the veela clan as well. In the case of Maman and Dad, they had to go through a really long whole day ritual facilitated by the veela elders."

Hermione remained pensive as she continued walking. Then she had a sudden thought.

"What do you mean in their case?"

Victoire stopped and hesitated. Then she spoke. "Oh, this one's a secret, but... alright."

Victoire slowed her walk as she chose her words.

"Well, there are two types of veela bonds. The first is when the two individuals are true mates. In that case, no sort of extra ceremony is needed because the moment the two are legally wed, their souls automatically become one because of the bonding of their inner veelas. Although... true mating pairs are quite rare, and I've never properly met one."

"Anyway, if both mates are veelas, then there is no problem as the bonding occurs naturally. If the true mate of a veela is a human, then a new veela awakens within the human to complete the ritual and mating. Hence, their magic will also naturally entwine, with the aid of their veelas, without any ceremony or external interference."

Hermione took a moment to process this.

"So you're saying... that Fleur and Bill aren't veela mates?"

Victoire shook her head, grimacing. "No, they aren't. They're just a regular couple since no veela awakened within Dad when they married. Hence, they needed the veela ritual to seal the bond since their magic couldn't naturally connect."

Hermione remained silent as she pondered on this new information. They continued walking as Victoire took out a map, muttering to herself that she can't get lost at this point.

Hermione furrowed a brow, still in thought. "So Fleur never found her true mate?"

Victoire stopped in her tracks, then slowly put down the map as she scratched her head.

"Oh, you don't have to tell me. I know how sensitive information about identities of true mates can be," Hermione stated in a slight rush, hurrying to bury her words. "We could talk about other things. Let's just keep walking—"

"Aunt Hermione, you're going to think I'm out of my mind, but I have a hunch."

Hermione listened silently, watching Victoire lift her eyes off her map and turning to face her in confusion and hesitance. The Weasley seemed to be confirming something in her mind as she spoke the words slowly.

"I think you're her true mate."

Hermione stood dumbfounded, her mouth slightly open as she digested Victoire's words. Then she loudly laughed as she had her arm on a trunk for support, soon covering her mouth as she chuckled.

Victoire frowned.

"I'm serious," she said, placing her hands on her hips and sighing. "When I grew older and I started detecting veela magic, I felt her inner veela always act up around you. You see, one's inner veela is usually a bit different in personality than their human counterparts. For instance, Mum's is a bit more soft than her usually conceited side."

"Anyway, it was almost as if Mum was fighting her inner veela which wanted to get closer to you while she herself tried pushing you away... which is understandable considering she was married, honestly." She shook her head. "And whenever you two would fight, her veela would break her from within in confusion. Mum always had to hide herself in some corner at Shell Cottage to break down, you know?"

Hermione remained silent, imagining a fiery Fleur leaving the Burrow, only to break down on her knees at Shell Cottage. She felt her insides shake with a mix of sadness, pity, and an irrational part of rage.

"Dad always had to comfort her whenever she had those kinds of incidents, trying to get her hopes up with jokes and whatever. Honestly, if you saw Mum and Dad at home, they were more of best friends than lovers. They were each others' support in that way," she said softly, slowly sitting on a rock as she reminisced. "Dominique, Louis, and I never understood what they talked about either. They always talked in hushed whispers, but one thing was for certain," she said, keeping her gaze on Hermione's confused eyes. She smiled bitterly. "I always heard your name."

"Me? That's—" She shook her head, nervously chuckling. "Victoire, I can't be your mum's true mate. I just can't. Why wouldn't she tell me then?"

Victoire shrugged, standing up. "I don't know."

.

.

.

Hermione sat by the fire as she contemplated all the events and details that have occurred. They had set up the tent once more for the night at another clearing. She closed her eyes, allowing the sounds of the crackling fire, the soft rustling of leaves, and distant sounds of water thrashing on stone to calm her mind.

The two had set up camp again after a mostly completely silent walk. It was night again. They had continued putting their heads together in finding out how Fleur was connected to the Argenti case, considering all the leads that were converging and intersecting with the quarter-veela. Victoire has now retired to the tent and was sound asleep, while Hermione went back out to think by the fire, unable to stay still with all her thoughts running about.

J _uly 7, 1993,_ she thought. _We just solved the mysteries of the Chamber of Secrets... is it to do with that? Or is it to do with Sirius? Merlin, but nothing really happened that summer! Everyone was just enjoying their break by going to Egypt or France for vacation or staying home. There weren't any incidents with Voldemort at all that time..._

Hermione calmed herself, looking about at the nature surrounding her. After a moment's thought, she stood up, bringing her camera, and walked away from the fire then into the forest. She hugged her jacket closer to her body before casting a warming charm on herself. The night's grown colder again.

She walked for around 10 minutes, simply admiring the scenery and sounds while taking shots of the beautiful trees and plants. She took care to note the path she's taken from the camp. Soon, she was in front of a small pond within a clearing Its waters were crystal clear and sparkling under the moonlight. From the clearing, a perfect view of the night sky could be seen, the stars and constellations shining brightly overhead. _This would be a beautiful place for some stargazing._ In awe, she took a picture of the scene from a good spot on top of a rock, ensuring to capture the entire clearing.

She found a few flowers sprouting around the lake, seeming to glow under the moonlight. Upon closer inspection, she was surprised to find that they were golden daffodils.

 _Extraordinary,_ she thought, touching a petal on one of the daffodils. _Daffodils shouldn't normally grow under these conditions, right? By a lake?_

The place was quite magical as it seemed to entirely glow under the moonlight. With the golden daffodils glowing a more yellowish hue, it was almost impossible to tear one's eyes from the sight.

She took more snapshots around the area, visibly relaxing as her shoulders lowered and a smile started forming on her face. _I could spend an entire day in this place_ , she thought, looking around. However, she was interrupted when her phone started receiving an incoming call.

_Harry?_

She answered.

"Harry what is—"

"Where are you right now?" He asked with urgency.

"Victoire said we're quite close to veela area already. She said it's about 5 hours—"

"Are you at exactly 42.599406, 2.241895? Can you check your coordinates?"

Hermione frowned, silently casting a spell as her coordinates appeared in front of her in blue text, suspended in mid-air.

_42.599406, 2.241895._

"Yes, those are my coordinates. Harry, what's this about? Why—"

"Hermione, listen to me," he said impatiently. Hermione waited patiently, her pulse quickening as Harry took in a deep breath.

"You have one of the location coordinates of the Argenti that appeared in 1993."


	18. Snitch

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> CAN I JUST SAY THAT I'M EXCITED TO POST THE CHAPTER AFTER THIS I'M SO TEMPTED TO POST A DOUBLE CHAPTER xD 
> 
> but no xD

The next day, all the students gathered at the Quidditch Pitch for the Gryffindor vs. Slytherin match, the first game of the year. Lia and Wendy sat at the Slytherin stand filled with green students who loudly cheered. They were directly opposite the equally rowdy crowd of Gryffindors.

"It's both Laurel and Scorpius' first game today, right?" Lia asked as she watched the crowds.

"Yep, both teams lost a star player already," Wendy replied. "James left the Seeker position open for Gryffindor while our team was desperate for a Keeper. I can't wait to see Scorpius' terrified face."

Wendy turned to Lia, slightly curious.

"Now that I think about it, why didn't you try out for the Quidditch team? Shouldn't your veela blood help with flying?"

Lia shrugged, watching everyone settle down as the match was about to start. A voice suddenly boomed through the pitch as cheers erupted all around. The players went out on the field, lined up, and shook hands. Lia smiled at a certain Lily Potter jumping on Albus' back and pulling him around while Rose and Scorpius tried dragging her off her brother.

"...And here we are: the first Quidditch match of the season. It's going to be an exciting game for all of us as we have the top 2 teams for the past years — Gryffindor and Slytherin!"

"On the lion team, we've got a smashing line-up with The Keeper: Fiona Reeves, The Chasers: Rose Weasley, Kento Mamura, and Meggie Jones, The Beaters: Lily Potter and Louis Weasley, and new Seeker, after star Seeker James Potter's graduation, Laurel Chaves!"

The Gryffindor crowd's chants and cheers amplified. Lia noticed Laurel fidget nervously as Rose sent the former a thumbs up in reassurance.

"It's funny how their Beaters are much younger than their usuals, right?" Wendy remarked, watching Lily and Louis jumping in excitement. The two Slytherins chuckled from their seats.

"And on the snake team, we've got an equally fantastic line-up with a last-minute addition to the team, The Keeper: Scorpius Malfoy, The Chasers: Albus Potter—"

"They should honestly switch their roles," Wendy commented, laughing as Lia nodded vigorously and chuckled along with her.

"—Brendon Greengrass, Nako Carrow, The Beaters: Marius Brown and Cornelius Dippet, and Seeker: Irene Parkinson!"

The Slytherin stand erupted in cheers, Wendy and Lia included, as the players came zooming up on their brooms, taking to the skies and assuming their positions.

"The players take their positions as Madam Hooch goes out on the field to start the game!"

A rather older Madam Hooch stepped out on the field, approaching a shaking box with all the balls. She looked at all the players in position.

"Now, I want a nice clean match," She pointedly looked at the Gryffindor beaters as they mischievously smiled. "Especially from you two! I may be old, but I'm not going to be merciful with punishments."

With a quick nod and a kick at the box, the woman released all 4 balls into the air.

"The match has begun!" The booming voice said, as the players took off flying towards their respective balls. While the Seekers immediately zoomed past all the players and into the sky where the Snitch had gone, Rose immediately snatched the Quaffle and hurled it towards another player on the other side.

"Rose Weasley hurls the Quaffle to Mamura, Mamura catches and— oh! He narrowly misses a hit from a Bludger. Mamura to Jones. Will Jones score?"

Meggie Jones threw the ball towards a ring, which Scorpius immediately caught. He waved the ball in the air, hurling it back to the Slytherin team.

"That's my Keeper!" Albus shouted, catching the Quaffle but not noticing the incoming Bludger, taking a hit in the side as he spiraled out of the air and let go of the ball.

"Idiot, keep your head in the game!" Lily shouted, hitting another Quaffle towards a Slytherin player, which he avoided. Rose laughed at a facepalming Scorpius on the other end.

"Albus Potter takes a hit to the side!" The announcer exclaimed. "Another one added to the countless hits he's received over the years from Lily Potter! Back to the Quaffle, Jones has it now, reverse passes it to Weasley. Weasley narrowly avoids 2 Bludgers with a dive— she zooms back up. Will she score? WILL SHE SCORE?"

Rose quickly flies to the right ring, positioning her arm to score when Scorpius blocks just as she arrives. She abruptly turned and rolled to the left, immediately shooting into the middle ring, to the loud cheers of the Gryffindor stand.

"AND SHE SCORES! ROSE WEASLEY ISN'T CALLED THE STAR CHASER FOR NOTHING! 10 POINTS TO GRYFFINDOR!"

.

.

.

.

.

The game continued for at least 4 hours as the two Seekers had much difficulty in capturing the Snitch. It was like the ball was extra drunk that day as it zapped at twice its speed and seemed to have a crazier mind of its own, irritating Laurel to no end.

"Folks, the score is currently 170-40 with Gryffindor in the lead. Seekers Chaves and Parkinson have lost the Snitch six times already. Either team can still win depending on who gets the Snitch," the announcer glumly said, obviously bored, already eating snacks as the sound of chewing noises filled the stadium.

Lia watched Laurel worriedly, turning to Wendy who was also watching Laurel nervously. The two watched as Laurel zoomed to and fro the Quidditch Pitch, desperately looking for the Snitch.

"How long is this game going to be?

"More than 4 hours?"

Lia sighed.

"Come on!" Rose exclaimed, calling on her teammates who were starting to tire. They snapped to attention. "We don't have to wait for the Snitch! We'll win this game by Quaffles and by Bludgers! Don't pressure Laurel!" She immediately stole the Quaffle from a mid-air pass between Albus and another teammate, rushing to the goal and immediately scoring.

"DID YOU SEE THAT?! WEASLEY JUST STOLE ANOTHER 10 FROM RIGHT UNDER POTTER'S NOSE! SCORE UP TO 180-40!"

Laurel looked back, watching the rest of the Gryffindors cheer. She breathed in deeply and concentrated, slowly closing her eyes. Her opponent seeker, Irene, stared at her dumbly in confusion. Upon seeing the flutter of wings, the Slytherin immediately raced after it as Laurel remained still, ignoring the Snitch blatantly.

"Laurel!" Rose screamed, turning around and seeing her still friend. "The Snitch! Get the Snitch!"

Irene was chasing the Snitch now, and it was almost between her fingers. Suddenly, it went past her hands and turned 180 degrees in the opposite direction. Irene crashed into the stands.

"That Snitch is mighty crazy today!" Lia exclaimed, standing up and grabbing a nearby Slytherin's binoculars.

"Sorry, I'll borrow this!" She looked for Laurel who was still calmly sitting on her broom. She had a tingling sensation and her hairs went up.

_Something was wrong._

Suddenly, Laurel opened her eyes, and Lia gasped.

_Pure silver._

"Laurel, calm down!" Lia screamed. But Laurel didn't hear her.

Emotionless, Laurel zoomed through the pitch at unbelievable speed. In a zigzag motion, she bolted through the pitch at lightning speed as students stood up in shock. The Seeker's movements were barely even seen as she blurred through the air.

As fast as a lightning bolt.

Rose watched in awe. _How is she flying so fast?_

Then, Laurel went up to the center and raised her hand, overlooking the entire pitch in the far sky. She simply opened her right hand and looked down. Nobody could see where the Snitch was. Everybody looked around but nobody was able to pinpoint where it was. Lia closed her now slightly silver eyes, focusing her ears on the flapping of wings.

_Where are you?_

After a few seconds, she opened her eyes, looking to the corners of the pitch where the Snitch was. Nobody had realized where it was yet. Slowly, it moved to the area right below Laurel.

Lia furrowed a brow. _What the hell?_

Then, as a fast as a bolt, Laurel turned 90 degrees, flew straight down, and crashed to the ground.

"Laurel!" Rose screamed, immediately flying to her friend.

The entire pitch went silent.

Then Laurel stood from the ground, eyes back to normal, and with the Snitch between her fingers.

"And... AND CHAVES GOT THE SNITCH!?"

The crowd erupted in cheers, even those from the Slytherin and other houses after the unbelievable sight.

"DID YOU SEE THAT?! CHAVES ACTUALLY CAUGHT IT?! AND IN THAT SPEED?!"

"What the hell?" Wendy exclaimed, turning to Lia in disbelief. "She was literally faster than a Lightning Bolt!"

Rose hugged her friend tightly and laughed, getting her in a headlock. The Gryffindor team clustered around Laurel, immediately bringing her up on their shoulders as she happily held up the Snitch, to the roaring cheers of the crowd.

"GRYFFINDOR WINS! 330-40! MERLIN, I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE CHAVES GOT THE SNITCH AT LIGHTNING SPEED!"

* * *

After the game, Laurel was congratulated by all the students she came across, with some even calling her 'Lightning Chaves' as she passed. She smiled to herself. Upon seeing this, Rose rolled her eyes and elbowed her.

"Don't you dare let it get to your head," Rose warned. After a few steps though, her face split into a smile as she grabbed Laurel by the arm into the Great Hall where they sat at the Gryffindor table, surrounded by Gryffindors.

Wendy and Lia peered from the Slytherin table as a wincing Albus who was half supported by Scorpius, sat at the table. Wendy chuckled.

"That's a new record today, Albus," she remarked.

"Yeah, I can't believe I'm going home to tell Mum and Dad that Lily beat me up thrice today. And I'm 3 galleons gone. That little—" He groaned in pain as he held his side.

Scorpius shook his head, rolling his eyes as the two sat down at the table. "Madam Pomfrey said that the healing potions will take effect in around an hour. Keep it easy, Al."

Wendy turned towards them, not noticing that Lia remained staring at the Gryffindor table.

"Scorpius that wasn't bad for a first game, either. You blocked a lot of Rose's shots."

Scorpius chuckled, "I'm pretty sure you're prouder of her than me, Griffiths. Just admit it."

Wendy scowled then looked at the Gryffindor table, deep in thought as she glanced at Rose who had her arm around Laurel as they both laughed with the other students. Wendy smiled.

"Yeah, fine I admit it," she said, not keeping her gaze off of Rose. She kept silent for a few moments as she tilted her head. "They really make Gryffindors different here at Hogwarts, right Lia?"

Lia didn't even look at Wendy. Lia narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah, they don't."

* * *

The two veela were once again at the Room of Requirement. They were joined by Shirley who kept score of their wins and losses, holding up two hands with 3 fingers on Lia's side and 1 on Laurel's side.

The room was only illuminated by the blue flames of the fireplace and the two's back-and-forth flame attacks as Lia and Laurel, partly transformed, battled at the center of the room, wearing some of the room's provided fireproof clothing. Wendy and Rose excused themselves to walk outside on the grounds. ("Disgusting," the two veela commented.) Laurel hurled a fireball at Lia, which the latter immediately grabbed. The flame turned from orange to blue in Lia's hands.

"I wonder why your flame's blue, Evernight?" Laurel shouted as she flew to Lia's side and attacked her with a quick jab. Lia dodged, kicking the floor hard beneath her feet, soaring mid-air and flipping, then tumbling back to kick a flame that hit Laurel squarely in the chest.

With a loud _oof,_ Laurel rolled on the floor and groaned. Lia immediately pulled Laurel up as the latter patted off the soot on her clothes, chuckling.

"Where did you learn to do that, Lia?"

"Where did you learn how to zoom past the air like that? And why would you do it in front of everybody?"

Laurel frowned as she turned to an equally frowning Lia. The Gryffindor took a defensive stance, taking a step back.

"Isn't that a good thing? I got to control my veela powers—"

"And the Snitch," Lia continued, taking a step forward and her eyes not fading in its silver tint. "What was that? It was like you—"

The two were interrupted as the door flew open as Wendy and Rose came in hand in hand, stopping to find a Lia who was quite literally in Laurel's face. The couple's brows raised in confusion.

"Are we— are we interrupting something?" Rose asked, walking towards the pair as Lia took a step back from Laurel, shaking her head.

The two remained silent as Lia seemed hesitant to say something. Laurel looked down, slightly confused. Shirley spoke, jolting everyone in surprise.

"Shirley has been counting Misses Lia and Laurel's wins and losses in their practice duels. Shirley is still the very best veela, in Shirley's very objective opinion. Laurel needs some improvement but is a very powerful veela, Shirley thinks." She turned to Lia with a bright smile as Lia returned with her own, fist-bumping Shirley with an exaggerated exploding fist.

"Well..." Rose trailed off, facing Laurel and patting the leftover soot off her blonde hair. "We've got a party to attend to. Clean yourself up, Laurel."

"Pa—party? What party?" Laurel asked, her head shooting up.

"At the Gryffindor common room. How are we going to celebrate if the star isn't going to show up?" Rose said, smiling. She looked at Wendy and Lia. "We'll continue training tomorrow, promise. Not every day that the common room is in chaos."

After the two Gryffindors bid farewell, Wendy approached a pensive Lia who remained at the center of the room. She patted her shoulders and gave her a sympathetic look.

"What happened before we arrived here?"

"Nothing," Lia murmured, turning around and walking to the large board with symbols. Wendy followed her, looking up at the board as well.

"I get that you're worried about Laurel. I'm worried, too," Wendy said gently, taking her side. "But you don't think you're overreacting by even a little bit? Everyone's literally celebrating except you."

Lia looked up to find her friend's worried eyes then sighed.

"Yeah, I think I'm just... scared for her. What if the other students... oh I don't know, Wendy. She's showing a lot of power really early, too."

"So you're jealous?" Wendy asked jokingly, following Lia's gaze to the board. Lia remained silent, her eyes scanning the symbols on the board once more. She chuckled, now only half-listening. "Maybe."

The part-veela walked up closer to the board and traced it with its fingers.

"Well, who cares about a bunch of Gryffindors, right?" Lia asked, flipping her hair and waving her hand to summon a notebook and quill from the other side.

"Let's decipher this board, shall we?"

Wendy groaned as she fell into the nearby stack of pillows, murmuring about napping instead. Lia scoffed, turning to Shirley who beamed at the text, already having a quill and piece of parchment out.

"Miss Lia, Shirley is quite excited! Does Miss Lia think Shirley can help?"

With her hands on her hips, Lia chuckled.

"Of course, Shirley. I'll be needing your wits after all! It's just going to be the two of us like good old times, hmm?"


	19. Lose

Apolline Delacour knocked on the door once more, carrying a tray of breakfast and juice in one hand. She listened closely through the door as she patted her foot on the wooden floors, hearing the sounds of parchment quickly flipping quickly and spells being cast on the other side.

She sighed.

"Hermione, you haven't eaten anything since you've gotten here last night. You've missed two meals, and it's already 2 in the afternoon. Are you sure you don't need anything?"

A thud came from inside. Then a woman cursing.

"I'm alright, thank you! Just tell me when the veela elders are available to talk, then I'll be out."

Hermione was quite out of it, sitting in the middle of her room and looking away from the door Apolline was on the other side of. She contemplated the details from last night. After Harry had confirmed that she was one of the first Argenti that appeared in 1993, her thoughts have been this jumbled mess of denial and confusion. Denial naturally surfaced because of the sheer absurdity of the proposition— that she wasn't from this reality? That she hadn't been the Hermione she thought she was for all these years?

 _But some things don't add up_ , Hermione reasoned.

Unlike the usual Argenti, Hermione completely remembered everything before 1993. She remembered the trio's adventures in the Chamber of Secrets, meeting Harry and Ron for the first time, getting sorted into Gryffindor. Heck, she could probably recount each class she went to with ease.

_Is it to do with being a veela? Or am I even really a veela?_

That was yet another problem heavily weighing on her mind. Why had she been traced as a veela? Did she just happen to have traces of diamonds on her if ever she really was transported to this reality? What reality was she on? Why was she transported?

_And why on earth 1993?!_

Outside, Apolline rubbed her temple, hearing a series of expletives from within the room once more. With a defeated sigh, she placed the tray back on the dining table and went back out into the patio where Victoire stood. Her granddaughter was silently looking out to the rest of the veela lands.

In front of the grandmother-granddaughter pair lay a vast space of greenery with vineyards, shrubs, and stone paths. Houses sprouted about a few blocks away from one another, all in earth colors and old brick or wood. Children were running about along the paths, with some older teens flapping their wings on their backs and chasing the others. Nearby, there was a majestic waterfall with the clearest water, its connecting stream passing between a few of the houses. Wooden bridges connected the lands, narrow enough to only fit around 3 people at a time.

Large trees stood in the far distance, and if you looked closely, they hid small houses made of their very own branches, leaves emerging all around as if camouflaging the quaint homes. A few inhabitants calmly went up the trees through the branches carrying them up to their homes, with some faeries leisurely flying around those parts. The houses were connected by long wooden bridges with silver rope, dangling to make a complex series of paths in the neighborhood mid-air.

If you squinted, you might have found pockets of fields secluded behind rows of trees and vines. Some had little cottages built, with families settled inside. These were usually much tamer, as their grasses were trimmed, flowers tended to, and cobblestone paths placed. Meanwhile, some, such as the biggest and most secluded field in the far corner, was left uninhabited and untended to, wild grass sprouting about.

Similar to the areas leading to the veela lands, everything twinkled and radiated and pulsed with magical energy, subtle enough not to be glaring, yet felt on one's skin, like a tickling sensation or the calling of an old friend. Everything seemed to glow, with the leaves a hint brighter in color, the breeze slightly more coaxing, and the light more illuminating rather than blinding.

The sight would have probably been called something along the lines of quaint, simple, or homey, yet with the unexplainably elegant and beautiful veela reigning and gracing such lands, clothed in earth to white colors with their ethereal presences, one wouldn't know how to describe such a scene.

Such was the land of the veela, at least here hidden in the borders of France.

"She's not coming out, is she?" Victoire asked, her eyes not leaving the vast space before them. She grimaced, watching the leaves of the nearby trees sway with the soft breeze. The sun was high up and beaming over the vast lands of the veela. If the hours before hadn't been so hectic, it would have quite the perfect day.

Apolline shook her head.

The pair came hurriedly in the dead of the night yesterday, with Hermione rushing and panicked. The veela guards at the entrance arch were quite surprised to find the Golden Girl, messed up hair and all, there so early along with a dragged Victoire. Apolline listened to everything about the Argenti situation, shocked with the turn of events, much less that Hermione was one of the first Argenti to appear but more with the fact that she was traced as a veela. Hermione immediately asked to speak with the elders when she figured that neither Apolline not Victoire (nor any accessible veela in that matter) were unable to provide any more input concerning the case.

Furthermore, much to Hermione's disappointment, Fleur never arrived.

Apparently, Fleur had contacted one of the village elders to house her for a week, but to everyone's confusion, she never appeared, even when she was supposed to arrive yesterday. Hermione mused that it might have been because Fleur knew she was coming. Victoire, on the other hand, thought otherwise.

"I don't believe that she came here to just hide for the rest of her days," she wondered aloud for Apolline to hear. "She knows that Aunt Hermione would come looking for her, and she would definitely consider the veela lands."

"That's true."

"It's more likely that she came because she needed something here. But what?"

Apolline pondered on this but shook her head. She had another curiosity in mind.

"Victoire, why do you think Hermione was tracked as a veela? Isn't she muggleborn?"

"Yes, she's definitely a muggleborn," the younger veela replied, sitting down on a chair and pursing her lips. She tapped her foot on the rails underneath a table in front of her.

"Definitely," she repeated. "None of her relatives are related to a veela line. I made sure of it by calling someone at the Ministry assigned to the Global Tree. Nobody... nobody even remotely close."

Apolline wondered, her thoughts drifting to something related she's read before. She just couldn't put her finger on it. She walked back into the house, going into the study, and perusing the shelves. She heard Victoire follow after her, her steps just a few paces behind her own. Apolline's fingers slowly traced the books' spines, then stopped at a large dusty one.

She picked it off the shelf and removed the dust with a quick spell. She walked back outside by the patio and sat down. Victoire sat opposite her, peered at the cover then frowned.

"Veela Legends? Grandmaman, what does that have to do—"

"Quiet, Victoire," she said, flipping through the pages and looking for a chapter. Upon reaching the page she was looking for, she was frustrated to find that it missed the 23rd to 26th pages. She frowned, the pages seemed to be haphazardly ripped from the book.

It was almost as if somebody had been in a rush to get them.

"Merde!" She abruptly stood up, determined. "Come, Victoire, let's go to the other houses and ask if they have the pages."

The pair went to each of their fellow veela's houses one by one, asking if they had a complete version of the book. Each house had no such copy as Apolline knocked on each door.

"What are you looking for anyway, Grandmaman?"

"A copy of a legend. Not many know of it since it's a very old story. Probably only the elders and the Delacours know of it because of how ancient it is... I doubt the other families have a copy, but let us go try and ask around."

Victoire nodded. The Delacours were the head family of the veelas for a reason. Aside from their great power in the flock, they had served the flock the longest as the oldest family.

"Do I know of it?"

Apolline looked at Victoire as they stepped off a bridge.

"Well, I'm sure Fleur has to have told you about it. It's a story we, especially our own family, pass down to our children after all. It's the 'Tale of the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Birds' which —"

The two were interrupted by the drop of a letter landing in Apolline's hands, carried over by the wind. Her eyes widened as she opened and scanned the letter, immediately pulling Victoire back to the house.

The elders were coming.

.

.

.

.

.

A single loud knock came on Hermione's door. Slightly startled, Hermione pulled herself up from the floor, avoiding the parchment and news clippings she had all around her.

"Just a moment," she said, opening the door and expecting Apolline to try another round of convincing her to eat. "Apolline, I assure you—"

But instead of the Delacour matriarch, she found 3 ladies who she could only describe as ethereal and the very epitome of youth as they looked to be in their late 20s. Their hair was the palest blonde and bright, similar to a pale sun, had beautiful faces with rosy cheeks and tall noses and wore elegant white dresses with silver accents, a few diamond jewelry adorning their ears and necks. As Hermione took in their powerful presence, she couldn't keep her gaze off of their eyes. No matter how much she knew it was probably rude to stare, she couldn't help it.

Their eyes were pure glittering silver.

"Elders!" She head Apolline call out from another room. The entire group faced a panting Apolline and Victoire who seemed to have rushed back to the house.

"This is Hermione Granger?" One of the elders asked, not keeping her eyes off of the Golden Girl. She had her hair tied into a long braid as a few strands curled around her face. Hermione tried not shrinking back from her gaze.

"Yes, yes. She is Hermione Granger," Apolline replied, giving a slight bow to the woman as Victoire followed. "We apologize as we were out of the house."

The elder smiled at the grandmother-granddaughter pair. "It is no problem, Apolline. And please, no more formalities. We're family after all."

She turned back to Hermione, stretching out her hand.

"I am Eve. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. Treat me like any other veela, please."

Hermione shook her hand, aware of the warmth emanating from the veela's hand. "The pleasure is all mine. Good to meet you, as well. Thank you for accepting me, even if I'm not—" Hermione shook her head, correcting herself. "—even if I'm not from around here."

Eve nodded solemnly, her eyes curiously watching the nervous Gryffindor.

The elder turned around. "You came to check on the 2 protected areas?" Eve asked, walking into the living room and sitting down on the couch.

Hermione nodded, following her and sitting from across the elder. Apolline brought out tea for the group as the rest settled on nearby chairs and couches.

"Yes, specifically the Circle of Avelin and Urlea Lake."

Eve looked to her two companions, the three silently communicating with their eyes as Hermione patiently waited. Apolline took a seat beside Hermione, placing a hand on her shoulder in reassurance.

"I'm very sorry about intruding on all of you, really. We just want to rule out all possibilities," Hermione said, sipping a bit of tea and ensuring that her tone was of utmost respect.

Eve turned to Hermione, seemingly deep in thought as she pursed her lips.

She spoke.

"That is no problem. After all, you are a veela just like us, non?"

Hermione's eyes widened. "How did you—"

"When I shook your hand a while ago, Madame Granger," Eve began, standing up and approaching Hermione. "I felt faint veela traces swirling with your magic, almost as if it were struggling to break free."

Hermione sat dumbfounded. _What?_

The elder motioned towards Hermione's hands, raising a brow, and asking.

"May I?"

Hermione didn't quite know what she was referring to, but she put down her tea cup and nodded right away.

With a smile, Eve took Hermione's hands in hers, closing her eyes then opening them once more as they shined even brighter. Hermione stared at their hands, feeling a strange sensation start tickling her palms, almost like putting your hands over a warm fire after being in a snowstorm.

Victoire and Apolline watched closely, sensing the vibrating energy surrounding the pair. Hermione felt a surge of magic course through her viens, magic that she's never felt before. It felt lighter, warmer, and much _stronger —_ like firing electricity jolted through her in bursts.

Victoire gasped. "Her eyes... they're silver!"

 _What's happening?_ Hermione thought, her hands now heating with magical energy as Eve held them. She was quite conscious that the heat was rising exponentially in temperature, but she didn't feel any pain. Her surroundings began to get a bit hazy as she felt a slow dizziness start to overcome her. She closed her eyes, trying to balance herself as she gulped.

Then, all of a sudden, Hermione felt deep and pure _anger_ within her core. It came without warning like a pierce through the heart. She took a large gasp of air as her eyes shot open, red filling her mind as she began to grit her teeth.

"Argh!" She screamed, feeling her head pulse with raw emotions as she immediately let go of Eve's hands. She shook uncontrollably and breathed heavily and erratically. The anger wouldn't subside no matter what she did to calm her breathing. It was almost as if she was being placed within the hottest of fires, and she allowed it to consume her very being.

She gasped for air, but none came. Looking left and right, she tried to focus on a single object. _Hermione, calm down. Breathe. Breathe._

_The cup of tea in front of her, knocked down and spilled on the floor._

_The flower vase._

_Victoire, panicked and with her wand out._

_Apolline, worried, and trying to hold me down as I flailed._

_Eve, standing her ground, and curiously watching._

Everything started blurring as tears started spilling from her eyes and down her face. All she could think about was how her head felt like it was going to be physically ripped apart from pain. _Think of something to calm yourself._

_She and Rose by the fireplace as they read their favorite story._

_Reading books on the couch._

_Walking through the forest._

_Her good sleep a few days ago._

_The small lake haven she found nearby._

_The Never-ending Blooms at home._

_Golden daffodils._

_Drinking coffee in the morning..._

_...with Fleur._

_Fleur._

_Her ocean-blue eyes._

_Her wavy silver-blonde hair._

_Her lips curled into a smirk._

_Her mind on a sudoku puzzle._

_Her tears as everything went dark._

.

.

.

_Waking up beside her in the morning._

_Tending to the golden daffodils in the field._

_Our smiling faces in the mirror of Erised._

_Reading together at the library, our fingers entwined across the table._

_Singing lullabies together in the dark._

_Her panicked face as she drove the car._

_Wrapped in a blanket while watching Les Miserables._

_Slow dancing to a muggle tune in the living room._

_Whispers in the late night._

_Lying by a lake and watching the stars._

_Laughing with our foreheads pressed together._

_Running away, our hands together, panting._

_Pained cries as the magic enveloped us._

_Her sobs as she watched me leave without a backward glance._

_An empty smile._

.

.

.

.

.

_No._

_No!_

"NO NO NO!" Hermione shouted violently, running out the room and out the patio, still holding her head as she fumbled for her wand with her other hand. She was mindless now, unable to process what was going on. All that she knew was that her mind was blank, her legs were running, her eyes were spilling tears nonstop, and she was screaming hysterically.

She felt an overwhelming amount of warmth with the surge of memories that went through her moments ago. But when she tried recalling them... she turned up blank.

_I need to remember. What were those? What were those memories?!_

She felt excruciating pain shoot through her veins as if she felt something tear through. She fell, then tried standing up, flailing forward before taking off in a wobbly sprint.

 _I need to get out of here,_ a voice said within her head. _I need to find her._

A searing pain again, this time through her back. It was like something was trying to break free but couldn't. And it hurt her both physically and emotionally, like she couldn't be free from the clutches of something that imprisoned her. She screamed in agony to the heavens above, but suddenly, she felt a voice cut through her mind as a demand.

**_Stay, veela. Calm your anger._ **

Down she fell with a large _thud._ Slowly she got up and tried running again, but her legs grew weaker by the second. She somewhat heard her name being called out as the elders followed her, but she ran towards an open field beside the house, looking up at the sky as a fiery bout of anger threatened to consume her. She couldn't control the words spilling out of her mouth, almost as if another being were speaking in her stead.

"Why did you leave me?!"

Hearing no response, she slowly kneeled on the soft grass. One of her knees had a cut and started bleeding, but she couldn't care less as she gripped the soil beneath hard, still screaming. She spat out more words without thinking, losing control.

"Fleur, why did you leave me?! You idiot, you fucking idiot! You said you were never going to leave me!"

Hermione looked down as she felt pain in every fiber of her body, sobbing and hitting the ground in frustration. She felt like she was going to die of madness. She faintly heard the sound of running footsteps coming closer and closer before suddenly coming to a halt. Her ears perked up to a soft thud in front of her.

A soft hand touched her face, then slowly and gently, cupped her cheek. It was warm.

"Well, I'm here now."

Hermione snapped her head up. Her gaze met familiar blue eyes, slightly tinted with silver. Fleur carefully kneeled before her, not taking her gaze off Hermione, with feathery white wings outstretched behind her. With her hand still on Hermione's cheek, she gently thumbed away the pouring tears falling down Hermione's eyes. The brunette leaned into the touch, blinking in disbelief.

Expecting exploding anger, she was surprised to feel her rage slightly simmer down. Although still there, it was overwhelmed by a sudden confusing mix of warmth and fondness and sadness and longing as she stared into Fleur's eyes. She touched Fleur's hand on her cheek, still not believing the part-veela was there.

Fleur came closer and softly kissed Hermione's forehead, wrapping her arms around the Golden Girl.

"And you're never going to lose me again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you liked it xD you're getting proper answers in 2 chapters :">


	20. Celebrations

The party was in full swing at the Gryffindor common room as some students snuck in alcohol, allowing half of the attendees to be quite inebriated. The star Seeker herself was quite drunk as Rose dragged her to a chair and rejected any more firewhiskey for her friend. Although Rose was quite tipsy (she couldn't quite control some of the spells she was releasing from her wand at this point), she immediately drank loads of water to sober up — realizing that Laurel had a much worse state. With a flick of her hand, Lia slightly burned Rose as the former laughed at her surprised friend. Rose, steaming, sent an extra-powerful muting charm on Laurel who struggled.

"Laurel, get a hold of yourself! I told you to drink up but not 12 firewhiskey shots in a row!" Rose said, trying to keep her friend's head steady as Laurel spun and flailed.

Laurel's eyes were quite glazed as she struggled to look Rose in the eyes. She stumbled onto the chair and put her finger up. Unable to speak aloud, she mouthed words quite violently, annoyed that she was rendered mute by her friend. Rolling her eyes, Rose released the spell as Laurel took in a deep breath.

"You— I'm not Laurel! I'm Lightning Chaves, Rose. But it's alright, you're the best, so I forgive you."

Rose rolled her eyes and decided the party was quite enough for Laurel. She waved to Hugo who was on the other side of the room as he smiled back, then turning back to his circle of friends. She carried her back up on her shoulders and went back into the dormitories, bidding everyone farewell as Laurel struggled in her arms.

.

.

.

.

.

"I'm never doing that ever again," Laurel said, right before vomiting into a bucket as Rose pinched her nose in disgust. Rose summoned a bit of tissue and water, offering them to Laurel who nodded appreciatively.

"Thanks."

"What would you ever do without me?" Rose asked, sighing and sitting beside her still dizzy friend who swayed left and right to half the beat of the pounding music downstairs. Around them, a few of the other girls who opted out of the party covered their ears, trying to get a good night's rest.

"Here, lean on me first."

Laurel followed her friend's orders, leaning as she sighed.

"I wanted to talk to you about the fire incident."

Rose chuckled. "And you think now's the right time? I should be scolding you even more," she said, circling her arm around Laurel's shoulders.

"I'm glad you aren't, Mum. But really—"

Laurel sat up and properly faced Rose with serious eyes.

"I set fire to your bag."

"Why?"

"You know how I'm a veela right?" She asked tentatively, waiting for Rose to nod in response.

"Well, Lia told me that the veela's an actual entity that's separate from me. It has its own emotions, its own motivations, its own thoughts, and hell does it have so many thoughts!" She shook her head, continuing.

"I don't know... I just felt angry for some reason. And all I could think about was this voice in my head saying, 'S _how your power. Call upon the flames.'_ "

Rose frowned, looking into Laurel's worried and confused eyes. Laurel bit her lip, putting down the bucket on the floor.

"My veela's very different in terms of personality, at least compared to me. I'm usually quite the relaxed and carefree one, right? I just want to have fun and you know, make the most out of all the stupid stuff that happen."

"Let me guess, your veela's not chill?"

Laurel chuckled, rolling her eyes. "Super. Merlin, it's like my veela wants to assert dominance on everyone all the time, like it wants to shoot flames when it wants; it feels challenged by every simple thing — by anything and everything, and I swear it really bothers me. Lia said it will get better over time, and I just have to learn how to.... in her words, 'be in harmony with it.'"

Rose sat up and looked her friend in the eyes. She could tell Laurel was still adamant about not liking her veela, with the seeker constantly looking unsure and afraid whenever the topic came up. Now, more than ever, Laurel never looked more fearful as she clutched her chest.

"I just want to live a normal life, you know? Maybe play Quidditch on the side, graduate and become some boring employee, maybe have a family or be a single strong woman," she sighed deeply. "All this veela business... it complicates things."

The two remained silent.

"I never asked for this Rose. I never wanted this. My parents haven't even replied to my blasted letters about hiding this from me!"

Rose nodded, holding the other's hand as she looked into her friend's slightly tearful eyes. Laurel inhaled deeply as her eyes glinted a bit in silver before the hue faded away as she calmed herself down. Rose clutched her friend's hand a bit tighter.

"We'll get through this. Like we always do."

She pulled Laurel into a tight hug, the two savoring the settling comfortable silence as finally, it seemed the music from downstairs was slowly dying out.

Then the two jolted in surprise at a large noise from the common room.

"What was that?" Laurel whispered, the two hearing the sounds of muffled distant screams as the hairs on their skin raised.

Then Rose felt heat coming from her chest. She fumbled for the locket around her neck, feeling it heat up in warning.

_Hugo._

Rose bolted.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Lia frowned.

She finished translating the last of the veela text on the board and read the words she wrote on her notebook. Wendy soundly slept in the pile of pillows in the corner, leaving the part-veela to her task.

 _This is the pseudoprophecy Rose and I had in Divination. Both versions are here, too,_ she thought, looking at the two sets of text in front of her. On the left was Rose's version while on the right was her own. The more she read the two, the more she understood that they were simply inverted versions of one another. She read aloud once more the statement at the top of the board.

"'Only those who are worthy can find the silver truth.' What does that mean? How can I prove my worth, then?"

Shirley scratched her head and squinted. "Miss Lia, Shirley thinks you need to ask Miss Rose for help. Shirley thinks your sister will be able to help crack the code!"

Their conversation was interrupted by the sounds of distant screaming. Then a large noise.

Lia turned around, with Wendy sitting up in surprise and confusion. Shirley stood still. They looked at each other.

"What was that? It sounded like a blast," Wendy said, struggling to get up.

Another round of screaming. Wendy's eyes widened.

"It sounded like it came from the Gryffindor common room!"

Lia immediately helped her up as she sent Shirley to go ahead of them. As Lia was about to follow Wendy who ran out the room in a rush, Lia suddenly stopped and noticed the flames of the fireplace had turned a reddish bronze. Along with it, the right chunk of text turned bronze as well.

_What?_

"Lia, come on!"

Lia ran out the room with a fuddled mind.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
The two had stopped as a crowd had formed before the opening of the Gryffindor common room, with many whispers and chatters among the students. Many pointed towards something within the common room, something bright which the two Slytherins couldn't see. Wendy and Lia went through the throng, excusing themselves to get a better look at what was being pointed at, eventually getting to the opening of the common room where Professors stood and discussed amongst themselves.

"The Argenti—"

"The girls dormitories completely burned in flames!"

"At least a dozen Gryffindors are injured—"

"Who could have—"

Wendy immediately went to a distraught Rose, fortunately uninjured, in the corner who hugged a shaking Hugo in her arms. The headmistress stood at the center of the room, trying to calm everyone down as she met Lia's gaze with a fearful look.

"Silence, everyone!"

Lia stood beside Laurel who was staring at the large area above the fireplace in shock, where flaming words burned its walls in ominous warning. Lia followed the latter's eyes, then felt her hairs stand up in fear as she read the words.

_"Show yourself, Golden One_

_\- Caller of Argenti"_

Lia and Laurel stood in fear, staring at the words, not knowing a pair of eyes was closely observing them and their reactions. The eyes abruptly looked away as soon as the two fidgeted and looked around, feeling their presence. The observer melded into the crowd, conversationally talking to 2 students about the scene.

"This is quite frightening, isn't it?" They said, a bit of their lips quirking upwards in delight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you guys expect this? (I mean from the other pseudoprophecy from Trelawney's class) :0
> 
> Checkpoint because we're getting 2 extremely important chapters back-to-back next! Ready your brain cells because I've run out already xD Thanks for reading and hope you liked this chapter :>


	21. Happiness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this chapter is the longest so far (and for good reason)! Make sure to read this when you're able to process stuff because you're getting tons of info coming your way (plus maybe a hit of emotions, too). You've been warned :""
> 
> lol imma hide now

_Don't leave me._

_Don't leave me!_

"Don't leave," Hermione said, jolting awake, and sitting up. She frantically looked around, finding herself in bed in a small room. Her legs ached from all the running, and her throat was dry from shouting. She coughed then raising her arm to check her throat; her head snapped when she realized that someone was tightly holding her hand.

She looked down, finding Fleur with her head on the bed, fast asleep. The woman was obviously exhausted, her breaths an erratic pace and her brows furrowed in worry. Hermione held up her hand and hesitantly touched Fleur's face, softly tracing her sharp brows, down to her cheekbones and soft lips. Hermione sighed.

 _She's really here,_ she thought. _Fleur's here._

Hermione felt a bit of movement as Fleur slowly roused from her slumber, her eyes fluttering open as she took in Hermione's conscious state. She immediately sat up and placed her hands on her forehead then her cheeks.

Sighing in relief, she asked. "How are you feeling, Hermione?"

Hermione looked into Fleur's eyes filled with concern, searching for answers within her deep blue pools. She shook her head. She wanted to ask so many questions, wanted so many answers. Was Fleur going to finally explain what was happening?

"Tell me everything," she hoarsely whispered, closing her eyes and cupping Fleur's face with her hands. Fleur looked at her with bafflement as Hermione gave the most sincere and comforting smile.

"How can you still stand me, Hermione? After everything?"

She watched a single tear fall from Fleur's face.

"Fleur, what on earth is going on? Please... tell me."

Fleur hummed, spending a few moments of silence in thought. Hermione reigned in her simmering anger.

The blonde hesitantly replied.

"You're going to hate me. Actually, you already do." She looked away, her voice shaking and afraid.

The brunette looked at her confusedly. She moved Fleur's chin such that the latter faced her, yet her eyes were still averted. Noticing this, Hermione frowned, moving herself to the blonde's line of sight, staring deep into her eyes. Fleur groaned as Hermione pulled her closer.

"Explain?" Hermione asked softly.

"Later, with everyone." Fleur looked down with a regretful face.

The two remained in silence as sunlight started brightly pouring in through the window. They could distinctly hear the sound of clattering glassware outside.

"Then one thing," Hermione said softly. Fleur remained silent as Hermione entwined their fingers.

"How long?"

"How long what?"

"How long have you kept everything secret?"

Fleur smiled sadly.

"Since the beginning."

* * *

Fleur and Hermione sat in the living room with the veela elders while Eve was doing several spells to check on Hermione's state, apologizing for the sudden awakening of her veela. Nobody, including the elders, knew that such a violent reaction within Hermione would occur. Meanwhile, Apolline and Victoire were at the kitchen preparing tea for everyone.

Everyone moved in silence, with Hermione subtly watching Fleur in the corner of her eye as the latter placed her bag on the table, rummaging through the items inside. The part-veela's hair was up in a messy bun, and Hermione's eyes subtly lingered a bit longer on the nape of Fleur's neck, feeling a mix of rage and satisfaction at the sight.

"Aunt Hermione, you're not really being discreet."

 _Not subtle enough, apparently,_ Hermione thought, coughing to hide the slight blush rising to her cheeks. She very much tried averting her gaze from a slightly smirking Fleur who sipped from the tea in front of her. Apolline and Victoire soon joined the rest of the group as they took their seats. Soon, the group stared at Fleur whose eyes were downward.

Apolline spoke first, directing a hard and cold gaze towards her daughter.

"Fleur Isabelle Delacour," she coldly said, not withdrawing her eyes from a quiet Fleur. "What on earth have you been up to? Explain yourself this instant!"

Fleur remained silent for a long while, speechless as she collected herself. Apolline sighed.

"Then first, why are you here now?"

Fleur looked up to her mother, then to Hermione.

"I didn't plan to. I was going to... do something here at the Circle of Avelin, but my veela sensed Hermione's suffering." She released a shaky breath, clenching her fist. "I couldn't stand it, knowing she was suffering because of me. I didn't even think twice to go to her. Now, all my plans are ruined."

If it weren't for the obviously serious situation, Hermione would have chuckled at the part-veela under the spotlight, shrinking back like a small child under her mother's hard gaze. If she were still the past Hermione, she would have reveled in Fleur's suffering, probably committing the memory to heart for later opportunities to embarrass her in front of others. But now, Hermione made the conscious effort of keeping her rage to a minimum, feeling pity and empathy for the poor woman.

 _She must have been through quite a lot,_ she thought.

Now that Hermione was able to properly (and sanely) get a look of Fleur, she noticed the dark circles under her eyes, the bruises on her arms, and the less confident posture she took as she sat up, almost as if exhausted from a long journey. She waited patiently for Fleur to continue.

"Maman," she began, resolutely meeting Apolline's eyes. "I'm not the Fleur that you think I am."

"You mean you're an Argenti, correct?"

Fleur shook her head. "Yes and no?"

"Stop speaking in riddles, child," Eve interrupted. The elder's eyes softened as she leaned closer to Fleur. "Harry Potter informed us this morning through fire-call that both you and Hermione Granger are part of the original Argenti that appeared in 1993. What does that mean?"

"We aren't—" Fleur breathed in deeply, turning her head to face Hermione. "We aren't exactly like the other Argenti... The other Argenti technically come from an 'alternate reality' where they're essentially the same age. It's just that they don't originally exist in our reality or they already died in this one."

Hermione, with a quick idea, silently summoned her papers and files from her room, putting them down on the table and handing a few to Fleur.

Fleur, upon scanning the files, nodded.

"See, take for instance this boy." She placed a file on the desk and motioned towards it. It depicted a boy with red hair, dark skin, and a toothy smile. "This boy, in his original reality, was 16 years old. He was transported at 16 years old and is still 16 years old in this reality. Also, take note that he was physically transported from his reality."

Apolline nodded, carefully choosing her words. "So Fleur, you're saying that you two... weren't of the same age when you went into this reality?"

"Yes, that's because we, our adult selves, time-traveled back to 1993."

The group fell silent as they allowed themselves to digest Fleur's words.

"How?" Hermione quietly asked. "There aren't any more Time-Turners. The Ministry destroyed them all already."

Hermione placed a hand on Fleur's. Fleur turned to meet Hermione's eyes.

"Not quite."

Slowly, Fleur fumbled around her neck and revealed a long, seemingly endless chain. Hermione's eyes widened in shock to find an old Time-Turner, except instead of gleaming in gold, it shined in pure silver.

"Hermione, this was the last hidden Time-Turner of the veelas, kept safe as a secret because it was an ancient artifact passed down from generation to generation. The two of us took long to modify its workings and functions using veela magic. We needed it to work in a way that we could stay in the past indefinitely." She paused, holding up the silver artifact in her hands and watching its arms tick.

"The Time-Turner originally transported the entire physical individual back in time, right? But when powered by our inner veela's magic, it can transport our consciousness, through our inner veela, back in time instead. Hence only our kind can use it since technically, only the veela within us can be transported back in time. Our bodies are left behind."

Hermione remained silent, letting go of the Time-Turner. _Wait._ She shook her head. _Did she hear that correctly?_

"Fleur, you said that only your kind can use it... meaning only veelas?"

Fleur gulped, expecting to know where this was going.

"Yes, your violent reaction earlier was your veela trying to break free. It's unable to do so."

"So why—" Hermione sat straight, tilting her head. "Why am I a veela all of a sudden? As far as I know, my parents are pure muggles."

Fleur hesitated, trying to find the right words.

"You— you're a veela because we're mates, Hermione."

Hermione looked at her disbelievingly. "Fleur, but why wouldn't you tell me that? It doesn't make any sense! I hate you without me understanding why. Plus, Victoire said that we need to have been mated for my veela to awaken, then. How—"

Hermione realized it.

"We mated before we time traveled, didn't we? ...That's why I have a veela within me?"

Fleur nodded, sipping from her tea and breathing deeply. She tried ignoring the looks from around the table, especially that of anger from Eve.

"Fleur," Eve began sternly. "If you two are mated, then why are you two separated now? It's impossible for a true mated pair to be apart. Plus, why is Hermione's veela sealed?! That's only possible if—"

Her eyes widened.

"Child, don't tell me that you—"

"I did," Fleur snapped. She grit her teeth. The two met with hard gazes, one of utter anger from the veela elder, and one of resolution from Fleur. Hermione was just confused.

Hermione looked from Fleur to Eve then to Fleur again. _What were they talking about?_

Fleur spoke, turning to Hermione.

"I severed our bond— including our veelas'."

"No wonder," Eve interrupted, looking at Fleur with utter rage. She stood up, her eyes in the most menacing silver, as she pointed a finger at Fleur accusingly. "No wonder Hermione's veela is so violent and angry with you. A rejection from a true mate... it's like killing your veela. It's worse than suicide! Why would you do that, child?!"

Hermione felt her insides lurch in rage towards Fleur. Fleur watched glumly as Hermione shook trying to keep her veela down, taking in deep breaths and containing her anger.

Fleur heaved a sigh and sat up straighter, the others curiously leaning forward as the other elders calmed Eve down.

"I'll start from the beginning, then."

"The Argenti case occurred as well in the very first reality we were on. It occurred very similarly, except it happened years earlier. Similar to this timeline, individuals from other realities started appearing. Soon, the Argenti stopped appearing after they reached around half a million in number. We thought that that was the worst that would happen — of course, we had to find new homes, new lives for the Argenti, but aside from the tip in the balance of our populations, we thought nothing worse would happen."

"But we were wrong."

"Hermione and I were the ones in charge of that case, both us being in the Ministry at the time in the first reality. We had been together then for quite a long while and had mated after the war."

Hermione forced her blush down.

"A few years later — much earlier than now — the Argenti started appearing. We did everything we could in tracking down the culprit and solving the case. We tried everything we could, but ultimately, we failed in our pursuit. Like I said, it got worse."

Fleur looked at the group intently, especially at Eve. Eve raised a brow.

"Once the Argenti reached half a million in number, disappearances from our timeline will started— all of them veelas, until it reached the same number: half a million."

Eve's eyes widened. Fleur continued before she could open her mouth.

"Hence, the veela race became close to extinct save for a few of us, those who had true mates. You all know how rare we could be, only amounting to less than a hundred in total. Hermione and I were included in the group, left behind while the rest of you completely disappeared. We lived the next year in complete guilt and agony, knowing that not only did we fail to solve the case and let all of you die; we were also the ones who didn't deserve to live, the last people to deserve such a fortunate fate. We never even found out why everything happened. It was utterly painful."

"Survivor's guilt," Hermione whispered. Fleur nodded, pushing forth.

"Hence, we decided to use our veelas' combined powers to use the Time-Turner, thus sending our consciousnesses back a few months. We always needed to go to some area with a large open space or else we'd destroy anything and anybody in our path. It also had to be filled with magical energy to contain our magic. Our magic was that powerful. Just being close to our magic could reduce you to nothingness. It could kill."

Fleur seemed to remember a particularly bad memory as she closed her eyes abruptly, her fist shaking closed as she exhaled deeply. She paused and allowed herself to gather her thoughts. Hermione clutched her hand.

"Are you alright, Fleur?"

Fleur shakily nodded, exhaling. "Yes, I just— just remembered something particularly painful. I'll talk about it maybe another time with you... when we're alone."

There was an expectant silence. Then Fleur continued.

"It was hell, Hermione. We did everything again, looking through the different areas filled with magical energy, speaking with Ministry officials, even opening up to the Order about our time travel, everything. But it was of no use. The Argenti started appearing, and the veelas started to disappear once more."

"So what happened?" Hermione asked. She widened her eyes. "No way... did we—"

Fleur nodded.

"Yes, we went back in time — over and over and over again like a repeated nightmare. It was a cycle of running and searching and leaping back in time again. It was pure torture."

Fleur stopped to collect herself as Hermione leaned forward.

"We steadily increased how far back we went— starting from a few years to decades. Hermione, no matter what we did in the past timelines, the Argenti case always surfaced. We couldn't find out who the culprit was no matter what we tried. They sped up the process when we felt like we were getting close, hid when felt we had a lead; it's like they knew we were coming— always one step ahead."

"We knew the case was related to veela magic because of the silver hazes— a trademark of veela traces, and we tried everything in our power to stop the incident. But everything lead to a dead-end no matter who we asked or what we did: you became the Minister of Magic, we went through Argenti's minds, tracked down culprits, enlisted Dumbledore's help, set fire to Beauxbatons, stormed into Azkaban, pretended to be Death Eaters, stole the Elder Wand, blew up the veela lands—" At this, the elders frowned as Fleur winced and shook her head.

"Really, that's what you disagree on?" Victoire exclaimed, literally close to pulling her hair out. Hermione was blankly staring at her cup of tea as she struggled to even form a coherent thought.

Fleur ignored them, looking into Hermione's confused eyes. "When I say everything, I mean everything, Hermione," she said seriously, gripping Hermione's hand tighter.

Fleur took in a deep breath, steadying herself as a bit of desperation threatened to bubble over through her shaking voice.

"Hermione, we've traveled back in time at least a dozen times, so much that I've lost count already. Imagine living the same life over and over again, trying to save the people you love, only to fail time and time again — watching them console you as they fade into nothingness, crying yourself for nights in guilt, then doing it all over again. We didn't know what to do anymore. It was an endless cycle of trying everything and losing everything, until we both became desperate shells who merely restarted the cycle for the sake of it. The whole situation was getting to the both of us— "

She looked to Hermione with a pained look, shakily biting her lip. "But it especially got to you, Hermione. It pained me so much to see you drag yourself with a heavy burden. Your great sense of justice became your weakness."

"It came to a point that we were both utterly exhausted and hopeless."

"So what happened?" Hermione asked softly.

Fleur looked down as she closed her eyes.

"We gave up. Or at least, we forced ourselves to give up."

Fleur continued. "In the last reality, we completely dropped the Argenti case. We instead turned to ourselves and our simple dreams rather than the hope of saving the veela race. We thought to ourselves that... maybe it was time we just had the time for ourselves. You know, grow old together until we had gray hair, build a house we could call home, start a family— like what we always talked about... _like we always wanted_."

Fleur's lip began to tremble as she closed her eyes. A few strands of hair fell over her face, almost as if bowing down with her in shame and regret.

"And for a time, yes, we had that. We had our own life tucked away in a field, a place we could call home away from the pressures of the world. Those simple times were the happiest days I've ever had— building our house together, going on morning strolls as the sun rose, humming together as we fell asleep, going to muggle areas while you taught me how to drive a car, thinking of names for our future children, gazing at the stars as we lay by a lake —" Fleur looked faraway with a genuine smile, then let a tear slip. "—those are the memories I'll forever hold dear until my last breath."

She swallowed, biting her lip.

"But even that was taken away from us."

"When the Argenti started appearing, we were able to stand our ground, reason that it wasn't our problem to take— that we already did everything we could. But the guilt ate you up when the veela started disappearing again while we were safe and happy in our own little world. You hated yourself for it. You hated that you could do nothing but stand by and allow it to happen again. I had to hold you in my arms while you slept the days away crying yourself to sleep. You always went back to these lands, reciting the names of those we lost as if it were you rather than the gods above who had everything to do with it. You couldn't handle it — whatnot with both your strength and weakness — your sense of justice and urge to help others. You felt fully responsible for their deaths.

"It saddened me to no end, watching you decide that you had to do something... even after we decided for ourselves that we could plot our own destiny— that we didn't have to chain ourselves to the world anymore. It was like the life we had wasn't enough, Hermione. That _I_ wasn't enough for you."

Fleur averted her gaze, holding back a sob as she shakily continued.

"You wasted the days away, planning again to jump back in time as you dragged yourself around like a broken record; I couldn't stand it. No matter how much I tried convincing you to stop, you were so stubborn in pushing for a better world. You wanted to save the rest of us. But damn the world, Hermione! I only wanted one thing."

She turned to Hermione with a heartbroken gaze, and Hermione swore she could hear the shattering of her own heart.

"I only wanted you to be happy, 'Ermione."

"Seeing you break after how many time leaps... it broke me so much. Seeing you cry your lungs out, constantly blaming yourself, calling out to all our friends and family as if they were alive, it tore me apart. And I cursed all the gods in the 'eavens above. Why? Why did we have to go through this again when we could be happy? Why did we need to be cursed by this? Why can't we just be happy?"

She sighed.

"And so when you dragged me to go back in time once more, I made a choice.

"I thought that we'd already tried everything in the past realities. But there was one constant in each reality that we hadn't even considered. We had never even thought about it because of how much it would hurt. But I was willing to do it, especially if it meant freeing you from the heavy burden on your shoulders.

A single tear fell down Fleur's cheek.

"Hermione, I made the choice of separating myself from you.

"When we decided to go back in time again, I changed the time turner at the last moment — to the first time we met in 1993. I remember the look on your face in Dijon, desperately looking for me for an explanation as to why we were in 1993 than more than 5 years later.

"I remember that day like it was yesterday, Hermione. I remember the last look you gave me, of relief that I was alright, and sadness because of the task we were about to tackle once more. I remember how you waved to me from the crowd, running towards me as I stood still and willed myself to not look at you. I remember tears blurring my sight as I took in a last glance and memorizing every part of your face — the expression you wore that I'd never see ever again. I took a last look at the love of my life, reigning in my veela as she cried to me not to do it, not to let you go.

"But I had to.

"Silently, I cast the spell, 'Elavo', a forbidden veela spell. Like Eve said, it sealed away your veela, and hence, all your memories away. One by one, I watched the memories leave you as if plucking away petals off a flower. Your expression gradually morphed from a troubled hero, my mate who went through several lifetimes with me, the love of my life... to an innocent child with the light back in her eyes— the Hermione of this reality, not mine."

Hermione's thoughts immediately drifted back to her dream of being dragged around the city of London — the mist hot on their heels as she and her companion raced through the streets and tried escaping it. She was almost sure that it was Fleur now, panicked and exhausted and dragging her away from the mist, then casting the spell that erased their bond and her memories.

Hermione felt tears prick her eyes, falling carelessly as she blinked.

"I watched as your veela reigned in, the soft silvery wisps muted around you as it sealed away within the depths of your mind. With it being the source of all your memories, the light in your eyes came back with that excitement you had for the tour you were about to join. Only this time, you wouldn't meet a troublesome veela jumping from group to group— trying to find the cause of why her inner veela was restless.

"We wouldn't become instant friends who bonded over our love for books and all sorts of knowledge. This time, you'd continue roaming the magical tourist spots of Dijon without me. We wouldn't laugh as we followed your down-to-the-minute-specific itinerary each day for the rest of the week. We wouldn't have chatted about the creatures hidden in Dijon's muggle parks, or the differences in Hogwarts' and Beauxbatons' curricula. We wouldn't send letters over the summers until the Triwizard Tournament. And you most definitely wouldn't fall in love with me.

"Instead, I turned around, dragging an annoyed Gabrielle along with me as we sat at a nearby cafe close to the exit. I treated her to another ice cream while I painfully watched you leave the site grounds with your parents. I watched you smile contentedly, and while your happiness returned like light, mine walked away, exiting both the palace and soon my life without so much as a backward glance.

"Maman was quite confused as to why I had such red eyes when we returned, crumpled up tour tickets in hand."

Fleur smiled bitterly, her tears pouring as Apolline frowned, completely silent. She forced herself to continue, stumbling, and choking on her words.

"I swore to myself that I'd be the one to solve the case, even if it meant having to be alone the entire time, even if it meant you wouldn't know about me— if it meant that _you_ could be happy in ignorance, then I would do it."

Hermione felt another tear slip down her own cheek, her veela clutching in sadness deep within. A voice resounded clear within her mind, in deep pain and agony. She didn't know if it was her or her veela anymore. All she knew was that it rang sincere and true.

_But my happiness was you, Fleur._

She looked at Fleur, broken and lost. How long had she (they) suffered, desperate for some sort of reprieve from the daunting task placed on their shoulders? How many times did they have to watch people die in front of them before they were pushed to the brink of insanity? How had Fleur even been able to face her all this time? With her heated glares during the Triwizard Tournament, shouting at her at the Burrow, downright insulting her and calling her names, arguing without good reason— how did Fleur feel? How empty did Fleur feel when Hermione looked at her with unknowing and hateful eyes, ignorant that she was with the mate who was with her through everything?

She felt a twinge of guilt for her actions. But how could she have known?

She couldn't even begin to imagine what Fleur felt now. She could neither recall nor feel the emotions Fleur felt due to her memories failing her. Yes, she felt sadness, but no more than an ignorant outsider detachedly listening to a story that didn't concern her. She held her chest in pain, willing herself to feel anything aside from the passing sadness she felt from Fleur's story as if she were a bystander.

_You're supposed to feel broken, damn it! Why can't you feel what she feels? Why can't you remember?!_

"But Fleur," Hermione was desperate as much as her veela was thrashing in agony within her. "Why did I suddenly remember my dreams of the other realities... even at least for a time? That has to mean something, right? So Elavo is reversible, then? These sorts of spells always have some sort of undoing counterpart, right? Can't you just bring back my memories, Fleur?" She looked deep into Fleur's desolate eyes, her voice shaking. "Fleur, please."

Fleur remained silent for a few moments, looking back on a distant memory.

"There was a time when you remembered everything, Hermione. At Shell Cottage. Bellatrix's cursed blade interfered with my magic." She bit her lip and looked down.

"Then why don't I remember?!" Hermione exclaimed.

Fleur ignored her. "I was supposed to be happy, but all I could think about was how much happier you were without me. Yes, there was the war, but that happened regardless of my presence. I couldn't just take your life away from you. Plus, the Argenti hadn't even appeared yet."

"You were already in love with Ronald at the time. And I was already married, trying to move on. And you hated me completely. And seeing you broken after that mad woman's torture, I couldn't— I just couldn't do that to you. I couldn't just force myself back in your life amidst everything. I couldn't ruin your life again. You already had so much on your plate, and the burden of the war was enough.

Fleur gulped, willing herself to look away from a slightly agitated Hermione.

"I thought that you were still better off without me. And so I renewed the Elavo spell on you. It became virtually permanent."

Hermione abruptly stood up, clenching her jaw. She walked out and back into her bedroom in anger and disappointment and confusion and deep deep sadness.

"Look, I tried, Hermione! I tried breaking the seal but nothing worked!"

She didn't have to turn to sense Fleur follow her in.

"Those recent dreams you had were products of my attempts in bringing you back, Hermione. When the Argenti started appearing again in this reality, I knew it was already hopeless, so I tried. I really tried! I slipped you potions through your coffee, cast spells while you were asleep. They allowed your veela to slip past slightly, but only through dreams. Now, they won't even work any—"

"Just— just stop! Don't come near me, Fleur! I might actually hex you!" Hermione interrupted, facing away from the blonde with angry tears as she held her veela in. Realizing something, she snapped her head to address a completely crying Fleur. Hermione wrinkled her nose in rising anger.

"Fleur, you came back here... to go back in time again," Hermione began seething. "The Circle of Avelin is the largest magical space you know where nobody would even come close to you. Tell me I'm wrong, Fleur! Tell me you weren't just going to fucking leave again!"

Fleur stilled, shaking her head as she began to sob uncontrollably. One look from her and Hermione knew she was right. Her veela fumed and cried.

"So you really were just going to leave me again?! You just fucking gave up again?! You fucking gave up on _me_ , again?!"

She both didn't want anything to do with Fleur and everything to do with Fleur. Her mind was both blank and full. She didn't know what to feel, knowing that Fleur both saved her and rejected her. She both utterly loved and completely hated Fleur for it, and she was spiraling. She was both everything she ever wanted and the one who took everything from her. Her veela was thrashing, and Hermione was internally stumbling.

"I had no choice, Hermione, the Argenti—" Fleur whispered.

"So what? You were going to go through the realities again, but this time all alone?! Fleur, stop being the hero! You're not going to be alright! You're just going to end up hurting yourself all over again!"

"I'll be alright, 'Ermione," Fleur said, choking back another sob.

"No you won't. You won't, Fleur! You aren't going to be fine, Fleur!"

Fleur remained silent. Hermione pushed on, clenching her jaw.

"Then what about me?" Hermione shouted, her tears falling endlessly as she shook her head. "What about me, Fleur?"

Fleur looked down as she cried. Hermione let go of Fleur's hands, falling to a crouch then sat on the floor, and clutching her knees as she felt tears start spilling even more.

"What about me, Fleur? What. About. Me?! If you go, I'm not going to be alright, Fleur! I don't even remember anything, but my veela's literally thrashing so much, and it hurts!

"You never even stopped to think that maybe I wasn't happy, Fleur? I wasn't happy being with Ron? That over the years, I didn't know who or what I was fighting and that I was so so extremely empty without knowing exactly why? You didn't even stop to think that maybe this would hurt me even more?!

"That I didn't need contentment, I needed _you_ and your blasted smirk. I needed _you_ and your opinions about Les Miserables! I needed _you_ and your stupid stupid rants about the politics of France. I needed _you_ and your hugs that made me melt. I needed _you_ and your stupid arguments— which I realize weren't even sincere in anger all this time! I needed _you_ and your eyes that bore into my soul. I needed _you_ and your surprising moments of tenderness, your wits and your laughs and your smiles and your discussions, and every little thing. And, it hurts, Fleur!

"It hurts because I won't even know the rest anymore because you took those away from me, Fleur! I didn't need success, accomplishments, positions, give me all the money in the world, but Fleur— I needed you... you! _You,_ Fleur Delacour! You fucking idiot!

Hermione weakened as she caught her breath, her arms laying limp beside her as she struggled to continue. She heaved deep breaths as if her lungs were on fire.

"That happiness you gave me, Fleur? The light in innocent me's eyes? I'd rather have lived a hundred more hells and realities if it meant being with you."

 _You were my happiness,_ a voice inside said.

She heard the shuffling of feet as Fleur sat in front of Hermione, her eyes also red from crying. The two sat in silence as their previous shouts filled the room enough. Their eyes gradually fell on each other. Hermione dropped her voice to a low whisper, unable to find the strength to speak properly.

"Please," Hermione choked out. "Please tell me you could bring it all back. At least... just tell me you could restore my memories, Fleur."

Hermione felt despair from the veela within her, but she looked into Fleur's eyes, hopefully hold onto any sort of glimmer of hope possibly within them. She searched her blue eyes for anything — _anything_ that might suggest there was a counterspell, a potion of some sort, a ritual to cleanse her of this ache and emptiness she felt deep within her heart.

Then Fleur remained silent for a few terse moments, biting her lip until it bled. She closed her eyes in sadness as tears spilled over once more.

She merely shook her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let the info settle first haha hope you guys liked the chapter (and that you understood it omg). If you guys don't get it I can answer questions I guess lol xD Let me know what you think! I love reading all your theories haha
> 
> Also, another important chapter up in 2 days!


	22. Fireplaces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has the 2 groups alternating lol, and don't look at the art in the next chapter just yet. Finish this first! idk it might be a spoiler ((please haha))

The 4 girls stayed together at the Room of Requirement for the next few days. Aside from the burning message, which spread terror around the school, the Gryffindor's girls' dormitory was completely burned down in the attack (and everyone's items destroyed in the fire as well). The Gryffindors were thus relocated temporarily to other dormitories while the 4 decided to camp at the Room of Requirement together.

The incident, aside from causing shock around the school, alarmed professors and Ministry officials alike as groups of aurors, Harry included, investigated the scene. As a result, the student body was given a 2-week break to recover and catch-up with their studies while the ministry investigated the Argenti-related incident. The entire Hogwarts grounds were searched for any traces of magic.

Rose had been in constant contact with Hermione through this time. She wrote about how her firsthand experience with the warning scared her to death, how Hugo called her out of fear through their charmed lockets, how Wendy had comforted her and Hugo when she found them in the corner, how the Gryffindor girl's dormitory was now completely wrecked, and the current set-up that she had with her 3 other friends.

The 4 girls spent their days mostly in training and reading the countless veela books in their room. To the other girls' confusion, Lia also made it a point to allot at least an hour each day to constantly stare at the blue fireplace, almost as if boring her hard gaze into the flames. Sometimes, in frustration, she would cast her own blue fireball to throw into the fireplace, startling the entire group. It was during times like these that Wendy changed the subject.

"Who do you think could be the Golden One?" Wendy asked as she munched on a bag of chips. The four were seated around the couch, eating snacks that Shirley, Lia's elf, brought from the kitchens. The group agreed that for now, it was better to avoid eating at the Great Hall and safer to talk about the incident in more private areas.

"Rose, do you really think Laurel's the Golden One?" Wendy continued, handing the bag to Rose who was concentrating on Lia's notes about the texts on the board. The Weasley looked up as she flipped a page.

"I mean, considering the timing of the game, her veela powers, and the fact that she literally has 'aurel' which is related to golden in her name, I can't think of anybody else? Also, why would it be in the Gryffindor room?"

Wendy nodded, turning to Lia who was still deep in thought.

"How about you, Lia? What do you think?"

Lia frowned. "It could be Rose or Hugo, too. Their parents are literally 2 out of 3 of the Golden Trio." Shaking her head, she stood up and stood close to the fireplace, its blue flames dancing on her face.

"Lia, so the line at the top of the board says 'Only those who are worthy can find the silver truth,' right?" Rose asked, flipping through the pages in her hands.

"Yeah," she replied, turning around and clasping her hands together then putting them at the back of her head. "What exactly could that mean?"

Rose crossed her legs and placed her quill to her lips, in thought. Her thoughts drifted back to her childhood as a familiar phrase came to mind.

"You know, Mum used to tell me a bedtime story... it was called the 'Tale of the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Birds.' Now that I think about it, it also talked about a silver truth."

Lia considered this for a few moments. Then she sighed. "So who exactly... is worthy? How would you know that?"

Rose remained silent as she shrugged, the rest of the group ignoring the question.

The group spent the rest of the next hour idly eating and reading, talking about the Argenti case and their own theories on it. Lia shook her head as she remained silent throughout the conversation.

"Maybe someone's trying to create an army?" Wendy suggested.

"How can you make an army with wizards and creatures who don't even remember close to anything, though?" Rose asked. "Plus, a lot of them aren't exactly battle types."

"What would they even gain, honestly? So what if you make a bunch of people appear?" Laurel wondered aloud, putting her feet up on the table.

Rose pondered on this.

"I was just thinking that... wouldn't this completely throw the population off-balance? And it's building up to something, which I don't quite understand. For the past few days, I've been reading the papers, and the Argenti numbers have been... confusing. It used to be steadily increasing, but now, the numbers have decreased and stagnated. And it's obvious that this isn't a natural thing; somebody's purposely tampering with space-time."

"Yeah, I've been thinking that whoever's doing this is purposely delaying the process. The numbers used to be quite predictable. Now, it looks like they're not following the original increasing number pattern. Like things aren't going to plan," Lia added.

There was a long silence. Lia interrupted. "Also, I think people will start disappearing."

The whole group turned to Lia in shock.

"What?" Lia asked, shrugging. "I'm not joking. For every action, there's an equal but opposite reaction, right? There has to be some sort of balance, especially considering the unnatural and sudden appearances. If there are sudden appearances, there has to be some sort of compensation. But I'm thinking of who would disappear if ever, though."

She continued, staring into the flames. "Who exactly would do it, though? And why? Who would they make disappear?"

"And why would they need a Golden One?" Rose added.

The group continued discussing, and after a few minutes of idle eating, reading, and chatting, Wendy stood up, approaching Lia.

"Do you want to come with me to meet my Mum? She's here to check out the scene for herself. I'd quite like to introduce you three properly while she's here."

Lia scratched her head and placed her hands in her robes. She had an apologetic look as she replied.

"Er— maybe another time, Wendy. I'm kind of out of it."

Wendy nodded, quickly hugging her friend and giving a sad smile.

"Don't worry too much, alright? Everything's going to be fine. We just have to stick together," Wendy assured softly. She turned back to Rose who was still deeply engrossed in Lia's notes, sighing, then moving on to Laurel who was stuffing herself with chips.

"Laurel want to come with?"

Wiping her mouth, Laurel stood, patted down her robes, and collected her belongings.

"Yeah, sure."

As the pair left the room, Lia immediately ran to the door and hurriedly closed it, earning a confused look from Rose. Before she could even open her mouth, the fireplace's flames turned from blue to a bronze-red. The pair's eyes widened as they looked at one another.

"I knew it!" Lia exclaimed, running towards the fireplace and looking at the board whose words started turning bronze. This time, both sets of texts started changing in color.

* * *

Fleur brought Hermione towards an open clearing at the far ends of the veela lands. It was enclosed by clusters of trees such that without knowledge of the area, nobody would know such a clearing existed. It housed small clusters of poppies and tulips as tall grass sprouted all around. The sun seemed to be It was obviously a wild area not kept up to shape, yet its simple beauty touched Hermione for some heartwarming reason. Maybe it was how everything was so naturally carefree, like every little thing—trees, sunlight, flowers, grass, and all— fell into perfect place. She inhaled the sweet air and smiled warmly.

Fleur waited expectantly, with her arms crossed as Hermione walked stood by the field. The Gryffindor turned to her, raising a brow.

"What did you want to show me?"

Fleur smiled, gently taking Hermione's hand and tugging her to the center of the field. For the past few days, the two made sure to do everything together — from eating breakfast, taking walks, reading books, and even sleeping beside each other. Hermione reasoned that she agreed to do all this because her veela became quite restless without Fleur by her side, and she would go off into a moody silent rage, which nobody wanted as Hermione's veela was quite the loud one when angry (although Hermione's veela was quite unpredictable as even with Fleur by her side, she expressed some points of anger with Fleur as well).

Yet at the back of her mind, she knew she was doing it for other reasons, no matter how much she wanted to deny it.

Hermione also had initially mused that maybe staying with Fleur more often would allow her to slowly regain her memories, which to her dismay, Fleur immediately shot down.

"This field is where we had our own home."

Hermione nodded, appreciating the large space the two built their life around.

Hermione looked at Fleur who walked in front of her, her white dress fluttering in the wind as stray wispy strands of hair flew to her face. Hermione didn't quite want to admit it, but as she looked down at their entwined fingers, a certain kind of warmth filled her being. Hermione felt her veela both delight and hate the touch. She felt both internal affirmation and rejection from her veela Hermione as she tightened her hold on Fleur's hand.

 _Deep breaths, Hermione. Deep breaths,_ she told herself, reigning in her veela.

Hermione could have sworn she heard a deep purr in her mind, immediately snapping to Fleur who looked away. Walking forward to find a very red Fleur, Hermione quirked a brow.

"Ah, my veela quite liked the hand-holding," Fleur said simply, trying to act nonchalant as she kept her gaze straight ahead in a second.

"So the purring in my mind was your veela?"

Fleur blushed. "Yes, my veela is quite the soft one and likes the touches."

"And how about you?" Hermione asked as Fleur turned her head towards her. Fleur stopped momentarily. "Do you enjoy it?"

Fleur tilted her head, looking at every corner of Hermione's face. Now conscious, Hermione averted her gaze and chewed on her lip. Fleur chuckled, bringing the other's chin to face her.

"I don't think you understand, 'Ermione."

She brought the pair's joined hands towards her own heart and Hermione's eyes widened.

"Your heart's beating so fast, Fleur," she whispered softly, feeling the fast rhythm of the other's heart, which didn't seem to slow. It pounded hard like an uneasy mantra.

"Oui," Fleur replied, taking a deep breath, dropping her voice to a low whisper.

"I've been with you for more than a dozen lifetimes, literally have been by your side my entire life, and faced the world with you. And you still do this to me."

She shook her head.

"But I'm not forcing you to be with me, Hermione," she said, letting go of Hermione's hand and walking backward, with a bittersweet smile.

"You're not the same Hermione I fell in love with, and you'll never remember the Fleur you fell in love with, too."

* * *

"What do you mean you knew it?" Rose asked, not keeping her eyes off of the board which grew almost entirely in bronze.

"I've stayed in here alone with both Wendy and Laurel already. When I was left alone for a bit, the fireplace turned bronze but only my side of the board turned bronze. I thought that maybe both of us had to be here — and only both us — for something to happen."

Rose's eyes widened, throwing an arm around Lia as she exclaimed.

"You could've told me that earlier!"

"Oww," she complained, fixing her hair as she looked back at the text. "Yeah, but I had a hunch that only the two of us are supposed to know what'll be revealed when we're left alone here. Why would the room only light up when we're here alone rather than when we're here with the others, right? Plus, I couldn't just sneak up to you and talk about it; we haven't exactly had sister bonding time aside from with them!"

The two were interrupted as the fireplace split into two, pulling itself in half to both sides to reveal a hidden staircase going down. Bronze torches lit up the tunnel path as the two looked at one another, gulping. Lia took a cautious step forward, looking down the spiral staircase, with enough steps to go down a floor.

"Alright, fine. We're keeping this secret, Lia. What now?"

Lia blew out a deep breath, turning to Rose with an unsure look.

"Are you ready?"

* * *

Hermione and Fleur were now back at their room at the Delacour house, sitting on the couch near the fireplace as they kept themselves warm from the cold. They shared a large knitted blanket as they exchanged stories. Now, Fleur was talking about the first time she drove the car. She recounted when Hermione had close to covered her eyes in fear that they were going to crash as Fleur zoomed through the streets of London. Fleur, with a scrunched nose, recounted cursing endlessly in French as she stopped Hermione from casting any protective spells on the car, especially after they almost crashed twice. Thankfully, the veela was able to park the car in one piece, earning a sigh of relief from Hermione who kissed Fleur out of relief.

As Fleur continued to tell stories, Hermione's mind drifted to her parents, growing old and still madly in love with one another, as well as treasuring all the little things. She thought of all the lives she would never remember and compared it with the life she had in this reality — the one life she knew.

Life with Ronald was anxious and angry and unstable; it made her feel inadequate and unwanted. Sure, she loved Hugo and Rose and utterly adored the two children, never willing to part with them for anything at all, but just the inkling of Fleur being the one by her side instead of Ron through all her life made her feel spikes of regret. Now, she understood why her veela was so angry with Fleur. Fleur purposely took away the life she forever longed for — a life by Fleur's side.

And now, she didn't know what to feel about Fleur. Sure, hearing about these sorts of memories tugged at her heartstrings. Sure, they were warming to hear. Sure, it seemed like the Hermione who experienced these very much treasured the memories. But the problem was simple — she wasn't the same Hermione that Fleur loved. And neither was she the Hermione who was with Fleur through it all.

All of these thoughts came crashing down on Hermione in that instant as she took a pained expression. It felt like her entire life was a fabricated lie, morphed by someone who loved her endlessly yet misunderstood what Hermione really needed — her.

"Tell me more about the reality before this one." Hermione asked softly, unable to look away from her past lover's face. "We really had it, right? A life we called our own?"

Fleur smiled. "Yes, we did."

* * *

The two students went down the spiral staircase, cautious and with their wands drawn, with Lia at the front. Their steps echoed through the walls of the narrow path for a few minutes before the path ended with a single wooden door.

The two nodded at one another before Lia opened the door.

The two coughed as they stepped into an old classroom turned storage room, books, parchment, and furniture everywhere. Close to all the items were covered in cloth. Everything seemed to be untouched for years as the dust settled on every corner of the room. The two walked around, uncovering items left and right and coughing or sneezing.

"Oh, we're so stupid!" Rose exclaimed, immediately casting a spell to clean up the dust.

Lia facepalmed, sneezing one more time as she continued her search.

"Why do you think the room would lead us both here?" She asked, uncovering a group of broken crystal balls.

"I don't know," Rose replied, examining an antique set of vials. "But for sure, we're supposed to find something here that will lead us to 'the silver truth,' whatever the hell that is."

As Lia went through reading a set of muggle books about ancient civilizations, Rose tried pushing a large couch aside, trying to get to a covered large item behind it.

"A little help here, Lia?"

Lia soon joined her, and with a quick heave, they tried pushing it out of the way before Lia furrowed her brows. She waved her hand, and the couch moved aside. Rose blushed a bit.

"Oh, we're so stupid, hmm?" Lia teased, smirking as she clapped her hands together in amusement.

Rose rolled her eyes, ignoring Lia. She uncovering the large object to reveal a large mirror with ancient writing on its sides. Lia sat on the nearby couch as she watched Rose examine the writing.

"Lia," she began, her eyes widening. "This is the Mirror of Erised!"

"Eri— what?"

Rose shook her head, facing her friend.

"Mirror of Erised. Uncle Harry told me about his encounter with it before. It's supposed to reveal your deepest, innermost desires."

Rose took a step back and stared into the mirror.

Lia curiously watched her friend watch the mirror, a look of recognition dawning on her face.

"What do you see, Rose?"

Rose smiled with a faraway look. "My mum and I, both smiling, as she tells me stories beside a fireplace."

The pair remained silent for a few moments as Rose wiped away a few tears from her eyes. She laughed, pulling Lia up from the couch as the latter stumbled slightly.

"Come on, your turn sis," Rose said, holding Lia's arms from behind for the latter to face the mirror then putting her chin on the part-veela's shoulders.

* * *

Fleur rubbed her hands together and cast a warming spell on herself and Hermione.

They remained in comfortable silence for a few moments, with Fleur playing with Hermione's hair and Hermione humming a lullaby. Fleur heaved a large sigh and sat up straight, wordlessly waiting for Hermione to turn to her in response.

"There was one other thing, too, Hermione."

"What was it?" Hermione felt her veela slightly simmer in sadness again, but this time, although still unexplainable, felt quite different. It wasn't the same as the loss she felt with Fleur. It was a familiar sort of loss, but Hermione couldn't quite put her finger on it.

Fleur's tone saddened, a few wisps of careless hair drifting unto her face.

"Well, in the last reality, we had a daughter."

Hermione's eyes widened, speechless. Fleur continued.

"She had your brown messy locks and my blue eyes. She smiled like there was no tomorrow, and she was this uncontainable ball of energy, always running and running until her legs gave out. She was so incredibly smart, too. She wouldn't stop pouring over books, and she had endless questions to ask. Just like her mother."

Hermione smiled, correcting Fleur and taking her hand, entwining their fingers. "Her mothers, you mean?"

"Oui, like her mothers." Fleur continued.

"We built our own quaint house in the middle of a field, the one I showed you a while ago. We loved it because it had lots of poppies and tulips no matter what the season, spread over the large space so that when the time came that we had kids, they'd have the freedom to go and soar high, choose their own destiny— just like what their mothers wanted for themselves."

Hermione imagined it. A simple house away from the rest of the world, where stories were spoken and whispered and carried by the breeze, maybe Fleur chasing a little girl down the field as she fondly watched from the house.

Maybe there would be fights and debates; they were quite unavoidable after all with the clashing of two intellectual heads. Maybe the house wouldn't be complete all the time. Maybe life wouldn't be perfect.

But the house would be a home, a home filled with music and laughter. Where every night there would be a goodnight kiss from two mothers, where dancing would become a staple at the living room, where black coffee and a cinnamon latte would be on the table every morning. Where Fleur's smile would brighten her days and soothe her nights, where happiness and contentment filled and poured like a never-ending stream.

And that even when the house would be gone, Merlin forbid, home would still forever be in Fleur's arms.

A tear fell down Hermione's eyes as she thought of all of this, not realizing that Fleur was gently wiping this off her cheek with a sad smile. It seemed that the other had similar thoughts.

Fleur's eyes stared into space before snapping to Hermione, then sighing deeply.

"There was one problem, though."

Hermione raised a brow. "What was it?"

"The Argenti case... wasn't quite over yet."

She heaved a deep sigh.

"We thought that we would be free of the Argenti curse, considering that the incident already occurred years ago, but our daughter wasn't an exception. She was so very young, Hermione— so innocent and carefree... but she started experiencing the early symptoms of an Argenti. She started forgetting little things at first, like what she ate last or where she put her books. Gradually, her memory worsened, forgetting our companion elf's name, her birthday, and even sometimes our names."

"We've lost everything already, Hermione. But they were going to take our little girl, too."

Fleur deeply sighed. Hermione went speechless.

"Before this happened, you were already contemplating going back in time; the guilt was just too much for you even after the years passed. But when our daughter started exhibiting the symptoms, you fixated on a better world for our daughter— where we'd have her again in a reality where she'd live."

Hermione bit her lip, meeting Fleur's sorrowful eyes.

"So remember how I said that when we traveled back in time, we had to go to an open area filled with magic?"

Hermione nodded.

"We almost always went to the Circle of Avelin. It was the place we informally chose as our usual time travel area. On the day we planned to leave, we did everything we normally did on a Saturday, but I wanted to make sure it was the best day of our daughter's life. But we made sure not to tell her to leave. We acted as if we weren't just going to leave our daughter then and there. We ran through the fields with her, told stories, ate heartily for dinner, and even allowed her to eat all the bread she wanted, without her knowing it was going to be our last meal together."

"So we tucked in our little daughter goodnight, told her her favorite story — The Tale of the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Birds — before kissing her goodbye as she slept soundly."

Hermione raised a brow at the familiar story, the story she used to tell Rose, but she remained silent, filing away her questions for later. She continued listening.

"We didn't want to tell her about what we were about to do, of course, as having a proper goodbye would be much too painful. You whispered silent promises of a different world for her, a better world where there would be other veela who would run around with her, where she'd be free and safe and loved. Where she'd be free to dream and choose her own destiny without being shackled down. "

"My heart broke. Little did you know of what I planned, that she would probably never exist in the first place in this new reality."

"And I'm carrying that sin to my grave, Hermione."

Fleur remained silent for a while, biting her inner cheek as she held back tears, with Hermione rubbing circles into the former's hand.

"We told our elf to watch over her and keep her safe in our stead, as we watched her sleep soundly one last time. Then, in the dead of the night, we ran... We ran and we ran desperately to another hell that was going to torture us."

Hermione imagined the scene of Fleur and Hermione tearfully leaving and bidding a little girl they treated as their treasure goodbye for the last time. She blinked back a few tears, shaking her head. Fleur hesitantly met Hermione's gaze, whispering.

"Remember when I said that our magic was so powerful that it would obliterate and reduce to nothingness everything in our path?"

Hermione nodded as Fleur took in a deep breath, starting to shake.

"When we went into Avelin's Circle, we immediately started the ritual. Our veelas' magic quickly filled the circle. I remember the last look you gave me, your eyes flitting to something far off behind me. You looked so afraid as you screamed past the blinding light that enveloped us. Right as I changed the Time-Turner to 1993, I quickly turned around and started screaming, too."

"I think... this became the last straw— the sealing reason as to why I knew I had to completely wipe your memories. It hurt so much, Hermione, unable to do anything but stand and watch. We were so utterly stupid! We left not just to save the veela race; we left to save her! We didn't get to realize soon enough..."

Hermione frowned. "What was it Fleur?"

Hermione watched Fleur's tears spill uncontrollably from her eyes as she started breathing uncontrollably. Hermione tried soothing her but it was to no avail as the blonde started shaking as she spoke.

"Our daughter... was caught in the circle."

Hermione quickly embraced Fleur, soothing her with warm words as she felt tears stream down her face as well. Fleur shook uncontrollably as she spoke.

"It was all my fault, Hermione. I already left her in that reality, without plans of having her again in this world. She was already going to disappear. And I thought I could at least give her the happiest day of her life before she slept peacefully. But I gave her the worst, most painful death... our poor daughter!"

"I heard her cries, Hermione— so full of agony, crying for her Mum and Maman as she crawled forward, even while she felt pain in every fiber of her body! We watched her get reduced to nothingness as she faded away— her screams filling our ears as we left. She died painfully, and it was all my fault that I didn't even check if she followed."

Hermione cupped Fleur's cheeks as Fleur looked down."Fleur, it's both of our faults. Don't blame yourself. We— we both didn't check," she said repeatedly.

The two remained silent for a long while, with Hermione soothing Fleur as the latter cried.

"What was her name?"

Fleur shook, her eyes filling with both wonder and sorrow.

"Her name was Au—"

The two were interrupted by sounds of voices coming from the fireplace.

* * *

"Now, what do you see?"

Lia chuckled, looking into the mirror patiently.

"I see... wow, that's supposed to be me?" She exclaimed, touching her hair. "Yeah, I see myself as a brunette, and oh... there's two people appearing."

Lia frowned and kept looking to her left and right in the mirror. She remained silent for a few seconds as Rose impatiently tapped her foot.

"Well? What is it, Lia?"

Lia shook her head in disbelief, still staring at the mirror.

"That's impossible, Rose. I see your Mum and your Aunt Fleur in the mirror."

The two were interrupted by the sudden sounds of voices echoing from the staircase, coming from the Room of Requirement.

"Wait, Wendy and Laurel are back. We have to close the fireplace!" Rose exclaimed, pulling a still puzzled Lia back up the stairs. They immediately bolted back into the room, surprised to find it still completely empty.

"What? I could have sworn I heard voices from here!" Rose said. Lia bit her lip and remained deep in thought. The two were startled by the sound of a stern woman's voice from behind them.

"Rose Weasley how on earth did you firecall us from Hogwarts?! And I'm not even at home, so how did you know where I was?"

The two turned to Hermione's shocked face in the now-restored fireplace. The path towards the staircase was completely shut off now, and only the fireplace with its red flames remained.

Hermione waited for a response as the two, dumbfounded, struggled to collect themselves.

"Oh... Mum, Lia and I are at the Room of Requirement."

"Oh, alright," Hermione replied. The two teenagers heard a bit of shuffling on the other end. "Rose I forgot to reply to your letter! I hope you both are safe with the Argenti incident there at Hogwarts."

"We're alright, Mum. Don't worry about us—"

Hermione was soon joined by a slightly sad Fleur as their heads bobbed in the fireplace. The French witch looked around the room as her eyes landed on the 2 confused girls.

"Fleur, I believe you haven't met Lia Evernight yet," Hermione stated. "She's in Rose's year." Both adults looked at a shocked Lia who nervously nodded, not knowing where to put her hands which went clammy.

"A pleasure to meet you, Li—" Then Fleur quirked a brow, remaining silent for a few moments. Slowly, she took in Lia's presence who shifted uncomfortably as the older veela looked her up and down. Fleur pursed her lips... then chuckled.

"Impossible," she said unsurely as she looked into Lia's eyes. After a second thought, Fleur closed her eyes and opened them again, her eyes turning silver. For a split second, Lia tilted her head in confusion.

Then suddenly, she felt her chest lurch forward as she fell to her knees. Turning inwardly, she felt her veela cry in sadness and joy, with her own eyes forming tears as well. Rose held her up as she confusedly looked between Fleur, now with a completely bewildered expression, and Lia who was uncontrollably sobbing. Hermione, quite lost, supported Fleur by the arm as the latter was now breathing deeply.

"Do I know you?" Lia shakily asked, unable to control the tears spilling from her eyes.

Fleur took in a deep breath.

"Aurelia?"

"Fleur, what?" Hermione asked, looking between Lia and a bewildered Fleur.

Lia slowly moved forward, her eyes narrowed and filled with tears. At the same time, Fleur extended a flaming hand, gently cupping Lia's cheek as she sobbed, her knees going weak as she knelt. Rose's eyes widened as she took in the scene before her.

"No... no way..." Rose said, rendered completely speechless afterward as she stood with her mouth wide-open. Hermione was still confused, shaking her head and furrowing her brows.

"Hermione," Fleur began, inhaling deeply as she looked over every detail of Lia's face as if committing everything to memory.

"Lia's our daughter."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Random but when I made the plot summary, you'd initially think that the "not when a certain Veela's inevitably involved" segment refers to Fleur, but now it's a pretty vague term that can refer to Hermione's own, Fleur, or now, Lia. Also the "troubled daughter" segment doesn't just refer to Rose now! I'm a sucker for double definitions xD Anyways hope you liked this chapter!
> 
> p.s. shoutout to all you peeps at the discord server who guessed right with Lia HAHAHA I was literally shakin trying not confirming any of your theories please xD literal sleuths!
> 
> my discord for idk : kkujjae#0670


	23. NOT a chapter (art for previous)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DO NOT CONTINUE AND SCROLL IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THE PAST CHAPTER
> 
> LIKE FOR REAL
> 
> JUST DON'T XD
> 
> LIKE I POSTED A DOUBLE CHAPTER SO DOUBLE CHECK PLEASE HSHSH

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[](https://www.flickr.com/photos/191731651@N04/50823827312/in/shares-gp1hL2/)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just made this because I tried Procreate for the first time... and lol it kinda sucks but I just wanted to get the image out my head
> 
> LMAO CLOSE ENOUGH


	24. Family

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> just a light chapter me thinks yall need a break xD

"How the hell did this happen, Mum?" Rose asked, dumbfounded.

Rose and Lia were now seated by the fire, completely silent as Lia was blankly staring at her parents in the fire. Hermione, eyes red from crying, was intently looking at Lia with a sad gaze as she was filled with various emotions — confusion? sadness? joy? She had quite the mixed reaction as her veela once more started thrashing within her; hence she couldn't think straight. She merely spewed out everything Fleur had told her in the past hours and day, mindlessly recounting information about their time-slash-reality leaps, the memory wiping-slash-veela sealing, and the tragedy that was to befall the veela race if the Argenti weren't to be stopped.

"So that's why you don't look like you're past your forties, Mum. It's not the Granger genes, it's bloody veela genes!"

While Rose's mind was whirring, Lia was quite blank.

Meanwhile, Fleur just straight up cried herself dry for the past half hour.

She was partly in utter disbelief, partly in shock, partly joyful, and partly confused, now knowing that her daughter was still alive and in the same reality at that. Hermione, partly blank, had her arm around Fleur while Lia held her flaming hand tightly, smiling slightly as Fleur blinked away the tears.

_How did this happen?_

"Aurelia— Lia," Fleur corrected herself, her voice still a bit hoarse. "How did you get here? We thought you had died in our last leap. You were caught in the circle, and... and I watched you disappear!"

Lia remained silent, still trying to process what was happening.

Hermione Granger and Fleur Delacour were her parents, one being the Golden Girl, past Minister of Magic, and the woman in her Chocolate Frog Card, which was still hidden within her robes. The other was another war hero and the heiress to the Delacour Clan, another important figure.

_Pinch me I must be dreaming._

She snapped out from her thoughts when she felt a painful pinch on her cheek.

"Ow! What the hell, Rose!"

Rose grimaced, shaking Lia slightly. Upon closer inspection, Lia noticed Rose force joy into her eyes as she tried to hide a slightly sad smile. Her jaw was slightly clenched as her hands went tighter around Lia.

"Wake up, stop blanking out."

Lia slowly turned back to her parents in the fire. Although Hermione was still quite confused, she looked at Lia fondly, her eyes motherly and warm as if finding an unexpected treasure. She slowly turned more apologetic, leaning forward as she chewed her lip.

"I'm so so sorry, Lia... for not being there for you all this time," Hermione spoke softly, her words tender and sincere as she felt a tear slip. "If I'd have known, I would have..."

"It's alright, um... Mum?" Lia tentatively asked, hesitating as she looked from Fleur to Hermione, who at once looked at each other for a few moments. They seemed to be silently communicating with their eyes. The two soon turned to Lia with wider smiles.

"You called 'Ermione here Mum." Fleur wrapped her arm around Hermione. She looked directly into Lia's eyes, never willing herself to look away as she spoke. "And you called me Maman."

 _Mum and Maman,_ she thought.

For a long time, she never really thought about who her parents were — whether she had a mother or a father or both, whether she had an English parent or a tall one or a quiet one or a kind one. She wasn't quite sure of who or how her father would look like, but she always daydreamed about how her mother would be like

In the small nook of her room, she'd hum little melodies as if she were being lulled to sleep by an invisible figure, Minerva watching with a bittersweet smile from a peek through the door. There were days like this— when Lia would just coop up in her room just lazily thinking of how things might have been, especially when she grew up to the age of 11.

Of course, she loved Minerva, stern yet kind. But she couldn't quite help think about how things might have been if it played out differently.

She used to think that maybe her Mum would be gentle with her words yet strong in her demeanor, that maybe she'd reprimand Lia for all the sneaking and trouble yet end with a kiss on her forehead. On some days back when she was much younger, she'd pretend that her Mum was beside her, maybe tell her stories and tales about the veela, probably being one herself. Then, she'd teach Lia how to spread her wings, maybe comfort her when the pain would be unbearable the very first time the wings sprouted. Maybe together, they'd learn how to fly and soar through the sky like how veela children were normally taught.

Not through some books that barely taught her how to flap her wings.

Maybe she'd sport the same jet black hair, share in the same love for books, and talk about everything and anything under the sun. Maybe one day she'd have a homecooked meal on a table different from Hogwarts. Maybe one day she'd have a home to return to during the breaks rather than her hidden room, tucked away in a corner nobody knew about. Maybe her Mum would be able to watch her run so fast through the fields— or maybe enjoy running free with her.

Or maybe one day they'd be able to run together, away from this confusing life that Lia was placed into— comfortable yet didn't quite fit her. Like another life was meant for her somewhere out there.

But most days were filled with thoughts that kept her awake for hours — the kind that filled her nightmares and worries. Maybe they left her because she wasn't what they wanted. Maybe they left her because she wasn't enough. Maybe they left her for a good reason. It was on these nights when she had these thoughts that she'd sneak out to fly, wishing her thoughts to be blown away and carried by the wind.

It seemed to work; over the years, not only her worries but even her hopes had faded.

And so when Lia grew older, she accepted everything with a gentle smile, mostly keeping to herself and busying herself with books and knowledge, filling the void that had slowly filled her over time. It wasn't until 5th year that she had made a friend in Wendy, too. But even so, she buried all her hopes and dreams and wishes beneath the facade she wore, as if hiding them would be enough to pretend they didn't exist.

But moments ago, looking into the Mirror of Erised, she felt her faraway daydreams and wishes knock on her door once more, like a long-forgotten visitor, a long-gone loved one who was coming home to her. She heard the knock and turned, hearing familiar muffled voices on the other side. An unexpected warmth filled her, one she couldn't explain. She was supposed to be afraid, yet all that filled her was a familiar hope that had once been within her close to a decade ago.

And now, as Lia looked into the fireplace, finding the embers and flames making up the figures of her mothers, all her hopes came rushing and crashing back like waves in a storm. The door opened to two mothers — not quite who she was expecting, but as she looked into their concerned and loving eyes, she thought that nothing had felt so right.

"Mum and Maman," Lia repeated softly, choking on her words as she looked down and started sobbing.

Rose chuckled as she held an uncontrollably shaking Lia close to her. She patted her gently and whispered comforting words. _There are definitely going to be tear stains and snot on my robes later,_ she thought.

"Mum and Maman."

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After a few minutes of chatter, Rose turned to Hermione with a curious look.

"Mum, would you know why the two of us remember 2 versions of the same lullaby, then? We got to call you through here because only the both of us were here in the room. So it has to do with the fact that we're sisters?"

Rose continued explaining, reciting the two versions of the lullaby as Fleur listened intently on the side, her eyes slowly widening in realization as the discussion went on.

"Hermione, you sang that version of the lullaby to Rose?"

Hermione nodded, then chewed on her lip as she furrowed a brow in thought.

"From what I know," Fleur continued. "Hermione sang the original version to Lia. It was a lullaby she made up and sang about, especially in the days leading up to the last time travel. It expressed all her hopes for Lia, to be safe in a better world, not really caring about what happened to the world itself, and for them to be united in the future."

"But of course, because of my meddling, that didn't happen, oui?"

Fleur shook her head.

"And so when she had you, Rose, being one of her other children, she unconsciously wanted to sing the song to you, but couldn't. For one, her veela was—is sealed away, so she couldn't remember it properly. And so everything went jumbled up when she sang it to you."

"Really, Mum, everything but the order?" Rose asked jokingly. "Well, now you'll have to sing the correct one from now on. Every single night! You have to make it up for Lia."

Lia aggressively nodded as she gave puppy eyes. Hermione laughed, mocking a stern look at the pair of teenagers but inwardly agreeing, her thoughts already remembering the memory and lyrics. She pointed a finger jokingly.

"You two are too old for lullabies!"  
  


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The four continued talking about their everyday lives, Lia now, with dried tears and red eyes, was animatedly talking about all that happened in the life she currently had. Hermione and Fleur's eyes lit up when she talked about her experiences growing up with Minerva, her solo adventures at Hogwarts as she soared through the skies during the summer break, her powerful growth as a veela, and her love for Divination (much to Fleur's pleasure and Hermione's displeasure) and close to every other subject.

She excitedly talked about her secret room at Hogwarts and her sorting at Slytherin, which earned a few raised brows when she explained that it was her choice of house to annoy Minerva. The bulk of her ranting revolved around her genuine love for all things related to books and learning as she had the library as her haven.

Hermione chuckled. Yes, Lia was definitely their daughter.

"I still don't understand how you were able to be safely transported to Hogwarts though, and with Minerva as your guardian, too?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms. "It seems too good to be true."

Fleur chimed in. "Yes, and you were sent back to the summer of 2008 as well, so you're currently 17, then? A year older than Rose?"

Lia nodded as the two women looked at each other thoughtfully.

"It really does seem too good to be true."

"How on earth did she get to the best place with the best guardian at the best time?"

The group remained silent for a long while.

"What if," Rose interrupted, the group looking at her curiously.

"Mum, you said that Lia got caught in the circle, right? And that both your inner veelas powered the Time Turner, meaning technically, when you get caught up within the circle, you also get caught up in the veelas' magic?"

Hermione's eyes widened, feeling her veela stir in affirmation. She looked at Fleur who seemed to be having the same conversation with her own veela.

 _Of course,_ she thought.

"A mother's love," Fleur added softly. "Our magic knew where to place Lia, where she would be loved and cared for, where she would be safe."

The group looked at each other in wonder as the words settled in, the pieces of the puzzle slowly forming in their heads. After a few silent moments with only the crackling of the fire heard, Lia immediately sat up from Rose's embrace.

"The time! Wendy and Laurel are going to be here any minute!"

Rose laughed. "Just tell Shirley to distract them or something. I'm sure she could come up with something."

Lia facepalmed as Fleur gave her a curious look.

"Shirley!"

Shirley immediately appeared before the group, jolting Lia in surprise as Shirley appeared right beside her. Fleur's eyes widened in surprise.

"Shirley, can you distract Laurel and Wendy if ever they start coming here? Give us like an extra 15 minutes at least."

"Shirley will do her best, Miss Lia!" She said, saluting. The elf turned to the pair of women in the fireplace, a little startled.

Lia turned to her parents. "Oh, Shirley, these are my parents Hermione Granger and Fleur Delacour. Mum, Maman, meet Shirley. She's been taking care of me through all these years along with Minerva."

Fleur spoke with joy in her eyes, clasping her hands over her mouth as she gasped.

"Shirley, is that you? You're here at Hogwarts, now?"

Shirley looked at Fleur in confusion.

"Sorry, Miss Fleur Delacour. Shirley does not know you. Has Shirley met you before?"

Fleur chuckled, shaking her head. She leaned forward with a grateful smile.

"Thank you for taking care of Aurelia, even in this reality. You sure have kept your promise even after all this time. I owe you my life."

Hermione's brows raised. This was their elf even in the past reality? She's been with Lia all this time? She smiled. _The wonders of elf loyalty. This really was the perfect place for Lia._

Shirley raised a brow. She shrugged and turned to Lia.

"Miss Fleur, Shirley loves Miss Lia very truly much. Even without such a promise as you say, Shirley will protect Lia with all her life," she smiled clumsily. "Miss Lia is Shirley's very best friend."

With that, she disapparated away.

A few moments after that, Hermione coughed as she interrupted the comfortable silence that settled, turning to Fleur as she motioned towards her daughters.

"Fleur, would it be alright if you could leave us for a bit? I want to talk about something privately."

Fleur nodded, then turned to Lia and Rose.

"Mon Dieu, I'll have to go to Hogwarts immediately and when we're allowed. Goodbye, Lia, Rose. We'll have to chat again soon, alright? This was much too short for us, don't you think?"

Lia nodded sadly while Rose remained still.

"Just use this fire if you need to, and I'll come rushing here." She looked to an unsure Rose. "That includes you too, Rose, my favorite niece." She winked, quickly clasping Lia's hand tightly with a reassuring smile then disappearing from the fire after bidding goodbye.

Hermione exhaled deeply and turned to her daughters, her eyes slightly widening as Rose stood up, patting down her robes and turning around with a grimace.

"Rose, I was talking about you, too. You're my daughter too, after all."

"Oh," she said, startled, sitting back down as the two waited for a slightly fidgeting Hermione to speak. Hermione chewed on her lip and looked at both of the girls who looked at her expectantly.

"I just wanted to say that..." She trailed off then shook her head, leaning forward in determination as she looked each of her daughters in the eyes.

"I love you two very very much. I can't— I can't even begin to express how important the both of you are to me. You two are my treasures now, and I'll do everything I can to be a good mother to the both of you, plus Hugo."

She sighed, turning to Rose. "Rose, just because I'm Lia's Mum doesn't mean I'll be less of a Mum to you, alright? You're still going to be my daughter, and nothing's going to change that... even if I have 7 or 20 more children from different realities."

"That's a lot of babies, Mum."

"Oh, it is."

Rose chuckled and sent back a sincere smile, her shoulders visibly relaxing as Lia took her arm playfully and swayed the pair back and forth. Rose smiled a bit wider.

Hermione turned to Lia with the same fond gaze. "And Lia— or Aurelia," She said seriously, giving the most heartfelt expression she could give in that moment.

"Welcome to the family. We're not quite the perfect one, and admittedly, I myself am trying to figure out even Fleur until now. And I don't how to feel about your Maman. Truthfully, I'm still a bit mad about the memory erasing because I'm pretty much blank now. Plus apparently, I've leapt through time countless times and have an angry thrashing veela sealed within me—"

"Merlin, it's been quite the week for you huh, Mum?" Rose teased.

"Oh definitely, I feel like I'm in the war all over again. Or even worse, to be honest." Hermione rolled her eyes as she stretched up, feeling the fatigue start overcoming her as she slightly yawned. She looked at Lia once more.

"But Lia, I promise you I'm going to make up for the time we lost over the years, over the realities. I'm going to make sure to fill your days with the laughter and music and the family Fleur and I have always wanted for you. And you're not going to be alone anymore. You have me, you have Fleur, you have Rose, hell drag in the rest of your half-siblings if you'd like. You're not going to be able to get rid of us, unfortunately."

"And after all of this is over, with the Argenti case and all, come live with us— wherever it may be. We'll figure it out... together."

"Together," she repeated, almost as if holding onto a hopeful promise.

The three heard the sounds of footsteps approaching from outside as Hermione sat up and gave her children a final look, ready to exit.

"We'll call again, alright? I love you both. Don't forget that."

"Love you, Mum," Rose replied with a smile.

"I love you too, Mum." Lia mumbled out, to which Hermione warmly smiled before she disappeared within the flames.

The two sat there in silence, simply watching the flames of the fireplace dance around as if in a trance. Rose looked to Lia, noticing tears once more forming in her eyes as she enveloped her sister in a hug.

"So we're really sisters then, hmm?" Rose whispered. "Smart sisters it is."

Lia ignored the door opening as Wendy and Laurel's laughs filled the room, recounting their experiences with Rose and Lia who feigned ignorance. She wasn't quite listening to Wendy's rants about the Ministry's meddling with Hogwarts or Laurel's laughs about a few unfortunate aurors being chased by Peeves.

Lia merely shook her head, chuckling, to the confusion of the others save for Rose who sent her pointed looks. All she could think of was how her world has completely changed in the span of a night— her thoughts filled with the promises of a better tomorrow and a new family who loved her wholeheartedly. Her heart warmed as she repeated her mothers' words, committing their loving voices to memory, and replaying their conversations in her head.

Maybe one day, she'd have the home she never had— although she quite grew into Hogwarts' four walls, the thought of having a much smaller yet much brighter and paradoxically both quiet and noise-filled home filled her with much joy and hope. Her veela purred in content and satisfaction at the promises her heart held dear.

Lia smiled, imagining a life with her parents, maybe talking about books over dinner and arguing about the most trivial things. She'd soar through the air in skies not overlooking Hogwarts, maybe instead overlooking a small house with a field where she could run free, where she might duel with Rose or teach Hugo spells. Maybe she'd get to discuss her own veela with Fleur's children, a step forward from merely avoiding Louis' pranks to innocent student bystanders at Hogwarts.

She'll finally have someone to say good night to before she slept, and as the lights went out, she'd whisper about mischievous stories to her siblings with a silent flame in hand. Maybe they'd sneak out together and hide until the sun rose, and hopefully her parents would put up with her excuses.

Maybe she'd have a chance at home-cooked food aside from Hogwart's repetitive ones. She knew from Rose that Hermione wasn't quite the cook, but she was excited to laugh at her Mum's expense, maybe with a burned breakfast in hand as Fleur kissed her assuredly.

The future was definitely uncertain, whatnot with the case of the Argenti still at play, but at least she had something to look forward to. The family was also indeed quite more dysfunctional than her initial one with Minerva, with her parents barely knowing one another and her siblings being from different families. Sure, it was going to take a lot of work and a lot of time. But they'd figure it out one day at a time, one step at a time.

Together.


	25. Stories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i swear writing this fic is my main source of fun nowadays xD
> 
> Words in bold are French

_"Come on, Hermione, where are you going? We're late for the next tour."_

_The young teen turned around to her beckoning parents, smiling as she faced them. Momentarily, she thought about why she separated in the first place, her pulse slightly racing and her forehead with a fresh sheen of sweat. She shrugged it off to the excitement of learning about the tourist spot. On to the next, then._

_She held her bag tightly, waving back as she grinned. Stepping forward, she could have sworn she heard a silent plea echoing within her, willing her to turn around as the voice faded into nothingness. She shook her head, ignoring it._

_She reached her parents, her mother laughing as Hermione apparently had shining dust in her hair and clothes. Her mother patted it off with a smile, taking her hand as they walked into the palace. The voice within her was slowly fading into nothingness as the voice of the tour guide entered her ears._

_Don't go, it said. Fade, another step._

_Don't go! Fade, forward._

_Silence. Then without a backward glance, she was gone._

.

.

.

.

.

"Fleur!"

Hermione woke with a start, her chest heaving and lips shaking. Her clammy hands were clutched tightly around the blanket that had partly fallen off the bed over the course of the night. Her hair was much more disheveled, her fingers coursing through her hair as she struggled to calm down.

_Breathe, Hermione. Breathe._

The nightmares still haunted Hermione. But at least one thing was different.

Slowly, gentle hands wrapped around her body as a soothing voice hummed. The soft touch of lips pressed into her forehead as if Hermione were fragile glass. She felt warmth seep into her veins like a calming lull, settling her heart and mind almost immediately. The bed creaked slightly as the blonde sat on the bed, silently coaxing the other to join her in breathing deeply.

"What was it that you say? Your mantra?" She asked softly.

Hermione took in a deep breath. "One is true silver, two are are golden, and three are bronze."

Hermione inhaled and exhaled slowly then opened her eyes, looking at a concerned Fleur. Without thinking, she buried her face deep into Fleur's neck.

Fleur froze.

For the past few days, the two have been dancing around each other as if unsure and hesitant of their every move. It was like they situated themselves somewhere within this odd paradox of lovers, friends, and slight enemies.

Initially, Hermione had been confused with her feelings towards Fleur, especially with the fact that Fleur herself had taken away her memories. But as the days went on, Hermione felt the human anger she had for the blonde slowly disappear, especially after their reunion with Lia.

Aurelia.

Whenever Hermione thought about her child from the other reality, she almost still couldn't believe her ears. It was like someone brought back a treasure she never knew she needed. And the more Lia returned to her life with her every story and smile, she felt her heart pull towards Fleur more and more.

She made a deal with Fleur— that the latter would retell or reenact every memory she would and could remember. Each memory Hermione was told was still seen from a bystander's point of view, yet it was the present moments that made Hermione slowly fall for the blonde all over again.

The blonde who was just so easy to fall for.

The blonde whose eyes were just so easy to get lost in, whose laughs replayed even hours later, and whose touches sent electricity down her skin. Her initial suspicions back at La Vita Nuova Place were confirmed— the Fleur at the Burrow, the one that masked herself when in front of Hermione, was completely different from the actual Fleur, the one she so desperately couldn't get enough of.

While Fleur's true self slipped slightly at La Vita Nuova Place, she exposed herself completely now. _This_ was the Fleur she wanted.

 _This_ Fleur who chewed on her lip as she finished a sudoku puzzle, as if she hadn't already finished the book she had in hand and just repeated the page for a second time. _This_ Fleur who talked animatedly about all the wonders of her culture, eyes twinkling in delight and excitement. _This_ Fleur who acted a bit childish even in her late forties. _This_ Fleur who stayed by her side all through the night when she woke from her nightmares, without the slightest expectation of Hermione returning her feelings.

Hermione still wanted her memories back, but she realized that she didn't need them to learn to love Fleur with each passing moment. This, Hermione would think of and repeat and twist in her head for hours until the sun rose, as if overthinking the illogical and irrational nature of _emotions_ would help her in her pursuit to understanding the veela who slept in the nearby bed.

The two never spoke about the obvious changing dynamic between them. Hermione started giving soft touches of her own volition, and she sent furtive looks when the other wasn't looking. Hermione quite enjoyed the fond gaze that Fleur gave from across the couch when the brunette was immersed in a book. It saddened her however that the observing eyes were always hinted with a twinge of sadness.

Hermione both loved and hated how Fleur looked at her.

She loved how every glance was filled with such love and longing that would fill her mind in the day like a disease; she very much welcomed it, in fact. Hermione felt loved and wanted by the blonde who looked at her like a treasure she thought would never be hers again.

But Hermione hated how every look would be followed by an averted gaze, a slight cough as she turned, a change in topic, or a grimace. Fleur was definitely holding herself back, as if she wouldn't— couldn't be allowed to linger as long. Like she was caught in a crime.

Like she was doing something wrong.

And it drove Hermione mad to no end.

_Fleur did say that we're virtually hopeless because I can't retrieve my memories. And that "I'd never quite love her back in the same way." But love is reparable. I can learn to love her again. There's more to what she's thinking. There definitely is._

Fleur took care not to overstep the boundaries she placed for herself, maintaining a certain distance from the Gryffindor she loved with all her heart, with the most affection showed being kisses on the forehead and comforting touches to ease. Yet it was getting increasingly difficult to tread this fine line the more Hermione herself placed herself closer and closer to the blonde, both literally and emotionally.

A touch she'd push for a caress.

A small smile she'd meet with a beam.

A short hug she'd push for an embrace.

Fleur had felt herself go weak, almost giving in when she pecked Hermione on the forehead, only for the latter to stare at her lips.

But she'd look away almost too quickly.

And so Hermione had enough.

Summoning a bit of Gryffindor courage before the two approached the fireplace as always at their usual time everyday, Hermione grabbed Fleur's hand, standing her ground as the blonde turned to her.

"Fleur, what's on your mind?"

The blonde blinked, as if caught red-handed.

"What—"

"It isn't just the fact that I don't have my memories, right? I mean, of course, it's partly that, but when I look at you, I can't help but feel like something else is bothering you."

Fleur bit her lip, looking away.

"Fleur, look at me." The blonde faced her with sad eyes. "Fleur, please tell me. I have literally been thinking and wondering and trying to understand what's been bothering you. I'm supposed to be thinking about the Argenti case and the world, but when I look at you, I just end up thinking of why you can't face me properly. I literally cannot sleep because you're filling my thoughts, my mind. And it's driving me mad."

"It's no—"

"No, listen. It's so obvious that I've been pushing myself towards you, even with my veela thrashing about within me. Doesn't that count for something Fleur? Shouldn't you be happy that I'm at least getting closer to you— wherever this is going to lead? Isn't it a push in the right direction?"

"Hermione—"

"Because why does it seem like you're pushing me away?"

Fleur remained silent, looking down at their joined hands. She slowly routed her eyes back at Hermione's pleading ones, steeling herself as she hesitantly opened her mouth.

"After we talked to Aurelia," she mumbled, Hermione leaning closer as she listened. "I was so happy, 'Ermione. I was so happy that we finally met our daughter again."

Hermione frowned. "So what's wrong?"

"What happens after all of this— if ever we do get out of all of this miraculously, 'Ermione? I want to give her all the happiness in the world. And I want to give you all the happiness in the world."

"But?"

"But why do I get to be happy, 'Ermione? I don't deserve you. Not after everything."

Hermione went speechless, staring into Fleur's sad eyes. She opened her mouth, but before she could speak, the fireplace burst to life.

.

.

.

.

.

The most comfortable they had been together was whenever they sat by the fire and fondly talked to Lia, their daughter's stories exciting the pair as they learned about everything the two missed as their child grew up. The two would cast knowing looks when Lia arrived at the Room of Requirement, hair a mess and books in hand, tripping on herself as she caught her breath as an attending Shirley watched out for either Laurel or Wendy going into the room.

She asked endless questions— about Fleur, about Hermione, about the veela, and about every little thing she could think of. Fleur and Hermione answered her questions gladly, their hearts warming at the teenager whose eyes lit up brighter than the flames of the fire.

"Aurelia Delacour-Granger," Fleur exclaimed (Hermione blushed at this, but a confused Fleur didn't seem to notice). "You are telling me that you actually enjoy riding those brooms— those dangerous contraptions?!"

The mother-daughter pair went into a full-on debate over whether or not the feeling of flying on a broom was the same as flying using veela wings.

 _Flying on a broom?_ _Alright, maybe that was one thing our daughter inherited from neither of us, her parents._

Hermione held back a laugh at Fleur's confident smirk as Lia conceded, groaning and with her head low.

"Fleur, just a question," Hermione interrupted. "Why Delacour-Granger? I expected Lia to get the Delacour name... I mean wasn't she technically heir to the Delacour line? I know how important heritage and names are to the veela clan, especially when considering power."

"Oh," Fleur said. She considered her words, slightly blushing. "That is because...ugh your veela is quite bossy and likes to be on top of the relationship. In more ways than one."

Hermione blushed, immediately changing the subject.

The questions would soon shift into the past realities, wherein Fleur took over the conversation, fondly recounting moments from Lia's first 3 years of her childhood. Hermione chuckled as she watched Fleur exaggeratedly reenact Lia jumping on her shoulders when she came home, willing Fleur to fly in the fields carrying the mischievous child. The two would immediately zoom back before dinner, just in time for the two to help Hermione prepare their meals.

Lia sat in thought, her grin never falling, as she watched her parents jokingly bicker. The Slytherin was smart enough not to expect much with her parents ending up together again even in this reality, considering the unusual circumstances, but the child couldn't help the silent hope fill her as she watched her parents' smiling faces.

"Mum, Maman," she interrupted, the two women stopped their discussion over the safety of flying with a less than 3-year-old child on one's back almost half asleep. Fleur immediately distanced herself from Hermione, noticing their faces became quite close in the heat of discussion. Hermione was madly blushing. Fleur hid her face as she coughed.

"How did you two meet?"

Hermione and Lia expectantly turned to a reminiscing Fleur. Hermione grunted and silenced her veela, which began bubbling again. With a concerned look from Fleur to ensure she was alright, Hermione nodded, curiously leaning forward.

Fleur sighed, wistfully recounting the very first time she met Hermione, many lifetimes ago.

_._

.

.

_Fleur walked through the streets of Dijon with Gabrielle in tow, her sister happily skipping as she ate an ice cream cone. Fleur laughed as she tugged Gabrielle towards a crowded street where tourists were patiently waiting in line by the Ducal Palace. A veela guardian went along with them, with Apolline not trusting the sisters to not cause any trouble._

**_"Gabrielle, finish your ice cream! We're already late for our tour!"_ **

_The Delacour sisters were spending the day aimlessly exploring the city of Dijon as their mother was meeting with various veela around the world at a nearby veela area. The two had been given tickets for a tour around the Ducal Palace amongst other places their mother had set them up to do to kill time, especially after Gabrielle whined becoming bored the whole day._

_**"Fleur, the tour group is not even complete. Stop panicking,"** Gabrielle replied with another lick of her ice cream, effectively gaining a white moustache much to Fleur's disgust as the older Delacour wiped her sister's mouth._

**_"She wouldn't want to hear about one of her esteemed daughters making a mess of herself."_ **

_Their guardian spoke. **"No worries, I have no plans to tell your mother about ice cream incidents. However,"** she rose a brow, looking at Fleur with a pointed look. **"I do have plans to report of any mischief."**_

_Fleur smiled sweetly and remained silent._

_Soon, the tour group was complete (and Gabrielle rushed by a panicking Fleur to finish her ice cream), and the group made its way into the palace. Gabrielle was in absolute awe at the beauty of the historical site, with its tall arches and pillars overlooking the group as if guarding its stories. Fleur, on the other hand, looked a bit bored, realizing that Beauxbatons was a bit similar in architecture except with a more modern touch._

**_"Fleur, this place is quite amazing!"_ **

_Soon, Gabrielle was chatting up a young girl her age, another tourist, as Fleur half-listened to the tour guide who was explaining the history of the place. She felt something her veela stir from within her, as if calling her to go somewhere. Fleur furrowed a brow in confusion. Her veela was usually quite peaceful, contrary to Fleur's fiery nature._

_"The Palace was a Royal residence when the Duchy of Burgundy was occupied by the Kingdom of France—"_

_Initially, Fleur had been writing notes in her pocket notebook as she drew the architecture surrounding her and noted down some of the more interesting details the tour guide stated. However, her veela had become quite bothersome as she was constantly distracted by a certain pull away from the group. Slowly, Fleur tuned out the tour guide as Gabrielle looked at her sister with a knowing gaze. Gabrielle sighed and whispered closely to her sister such that their guardian wouldn't hear._

**_"You're going to sneak around again, aren't you?"_ **

_Fleur smiled mischievously, discreetly patting Gabrielle on the head as she chuckled._

**_"Stay close to our guardian. I'll be back before you know it."_ **

_Fleur silently slipped away from the group and stealthily walked around the area, jumping from one tour group to another and ensuring to stay with a group for a few minutes before transferring. She felt her veela encourage her to keep moving forward, making her become more and more impatient as the minutes passed on. Soon, her actions soon less subtle as she ran from group to group, her veela stirring increasedly._

_Many people started looking at her as she ran towards the last tour group. Her veela seemed to leap for joy as she arrived. But before she could register what was happening, Fleur was immediately pulled away by her guardian who was quite furious._

_**"Merde! Fleur Isabelle Delacour, what did I tell you about causing trouble?"** She heard her guardian exclaim as Fleur shrunk with embarrassment, as eyes from all around looked at her._

.

.

.

_The rest of the tour was quite uneventful. A bored Fleur was dragged along by a frowning Guardian who held her the by the arm the entire tour. Gabrielle snickered at the side, teasing Fleur constantly. Unbeknownst to the two, Fleur was trying to control her veela's saddened reactions to being caught by her guardian, almost as if she were close to finding something but was interrupted._

_As the tour came to an end, Fleur and Gabrielle were left for a bit as their guardian left for a bit to answer a call. They stood in the middle of the street as the various tour groups dispersed and went about their business. Fleur was startled as she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder._

_She turned to a girl with bushy brown hair and curious eyes; the girl was maybe around 2 years younger than Fleur and was obviously a tourist. Her veela leaped for joy as Fleur tried to contain a blush. Her eyes soon spotted a familiar notebook in the girl's hands._

_"I think you dropped this a while back," the girl said, handing over the notebook to a Fleur who looked like a deer in headlights. Fleur shook out of the daze and silenced her veela. She realized that judging from the girl's accent, she was most likely English. The girl seemed quite hesitant as she pursed her lips and curiously looked at the notebook and Fleur._

_"Oh, zank you, mademoiselle," Fleur replied._

_"I didn't mean to pry, but..." the girl said, chewing on her lip in thought. "You're a witch, aren't you? I saw a bunch of spells in your notebook as well as drawings of... what I think is Beauxbatons?"_

_Fleur's eyes widened in surprise as her mind quickly went to how exactly she was going to wipe the girl's memories. Noticing Fleur's distress, the girl quickly took out a wand from her pockets, just visible enough for only Fleur to see._

_"No worries. I'm a witch, too." Fleur sighed a breath of relief and watched Hermione extend a hand._

_"I'm Hermione Granger. A pleasure to meet you."_

Fleur smiled, ignoring her veela's confusing push to hug the girl. She struggled to keep a cool face as Hermione patiently waited.

_"Fleur Delacour. Ze pleasure is all mine."_

.

.

.

_For the next few days, Fleur gained permission (after much exaggerated begging) to explore the city of Dijon with Hermione, much to the confusion of Apolline. Fleur had never been one to initiate hanging around others, so why the sudden interest in an English witch? Nevertheless, Apolline thought it would be best for Fleur to finally gain a friend after years of closing herself off to only a select few from Beauxbatons. After all, she was to become the heir of the Delacour clan._

_Hermione, on the other hand, very much enjoyed Fleur's company as they explored the more magical areas of Dijon while her parents attended a few dentistry seminars. She had initially planned to go to the tourist areas alone, considering the boredom her parents usually had when it came to magical matters. Everyday for the rest of the week, they met in front of Hermione's hotel as Fleur waited patiently at a nearby cafe with 2 cups of coffee in hand; while Fleur always changed her order, Hermione always preferred the same cinnamon latte._

_The two had immediately hit it off as they enjoyed debating about various intellectual matters. ("Finally, someone who gets the complexities of wandwork and charms. Harry and Ron wouldn't last a minute in this conversation!" Hermione exclaimed in delight as Fleur chuckled.) Fleur learned that Hermione was an incoming third year at Hogwarts and was friends with The Boy Who Lived. Hermione was quite appreciative that the conversation didn't linger on her famous friend as Fleur immediately turned the conversation to the comparison of their classes._

_Fleur had allowed Hermione to take the lead in terms of where she wanted to go (the girl had quite the long itinerary down to the last minute, which Fleur was happy to follow). At certain times, Fleur had to blink and turn away whenever her eyes started turning silver as Hermione had started looking at her oddly whenever this occurred. Thankfully, Hermione didn't push forward with asking about it._

_Hermione had also begun to notice the various stares they were generally receiving as they toured the city. Most looks fell on Fleur who seemed particularly used to the attention. Hermione had initially thought it was just because of her companion's beautiful appearance, yet as time passed, she had an inkling that there was more than meets the eye with her companion. However, she didn't push forward with her questions as Fleur seemed uncomfortable with bringing up the topic._

_Before the two girls knew it, it was Hermione's last day at Dijon. The two had scheduled a final leisure walk around a park, which was the Jardin de l’Arquebuse. Although at first glance it may have looked like a park filled with muggles, a secret entrance through a hidden fountain (one need only jump in) revealed its hidden magical areas._

_Fleur and Hermione were amazed to find a close to identical Jardin de l’Arquebuse, except all its greenery was interspersed with magical plants. Wizards, witches, and creatures strolled about as magic buzzed in the air, delighting the two witches who immediately went on a frenzy talking about anything and everything they came across — from the species of colorful birds that flew in circles to the half-giants they met on their paths, and the red swirls of magic emanating from a friendly duel on the sides._

_The two decided to rest for a bit as the sun started to set, bringing out a blanket and buying from a few enchanted savory croissants from a nearby stall. Hermione lay down and stretched her arms up as she released a satisfied sigh, throwing her completely crossed-out itinerary up to the amusement of a smiling Fleur._

_"That was fun," Hermione said, beaming at a still-sitting Fleur. The sun's reds and oranges melded well with Fleur's blonde hair, and the French witch seemed more beautiful than ever now, she thought. Hermione coughed a bit to cover the rising blush on her face._

_"Oui, zank you for accompanying me as well," she replied. She took on a bit of a pensive look as she leaned back on the trunk of a tree, rummaging through her bag._

_Hermione sat back up and examined Fleur who now brought out her notebook to draw the various parts of the park. She watched her perfectly manicured hands draw out elegant strokes as Fleur concentrated. The two stayed like this for a long while, with Fleur drawing and Hermione watching silently. At first, Hermione's eyes stayed on Fleur's notebook, but eventually, they settled on the French witch's face without her noticing._

_Eventually, Fleur spoke without raising her head._

_"Eet is quite flattering, but mademoiselle, you are staring."_

_Hermione's eyes widened as she stammered and looked away. "I'm— I'm just watching you draw, Fleur! Stop saying things as if you mean something else."_

_Fleur ignored her, putting up her notebook for Hermione to see. Hermione stilled as she took in the subject of her drawing. Fleur smirked._

_"Eef you were really paying attention, you would have noticed that I was already drawing you, 'Ermione."_

_Hermione rolled her eyes and took the notebook, smiling as she noticed the various features Fleur emphasized and how she drew them. Her hair, although still bushy and untameable, seemed to be drawn in such a way that it flowed naturally and beautifully. Her eyes were emphasized to be bold and fierce, which she appreciated. Her buck front teeth was still evident, but seemed to be drawn like a charm accessory to an endearing smile._

_It was actually quite a flattering portrait, making Hermione blush a shade deeper._

_"You like eet?"_

_"Fleur, you drew me so beautifully. I don't look this pretty."_

_"Oh, but you do, mademoiselle," Fleur replied, sitting up and taking the notebook from Hermione's hands. She then placed the notebook side-by-side with Hermione's face, pretending to think, then nodding in confirmation._

_"Oui, one and the same. I will frame this," she said jokingly, putting on a smug expression as she held her chin up._

_Hermione laughed and was about to retort when she noticed Fleur's sad expression._

_"'Ermione, I will miss you terribly. Nobody at Beauxbatons eenterests me as much as you do," she said, sighing as she kept her notebook._

_Hermione remained silent, then immediately took out a piece of parchment from her bag. Fleur raised a brow as she watched Hermione jot down an address. She handed it to Fleur._

_"Then write to me, Fleur. I don't want to stop talking to you, either."_

_Fleur grinned as her inner veela soared, pulling Hermione into a tight hug._

.

.

.

"Yes, we ended up becoming the best of friends," Fleur said, smiling fondly. "After talking with my Maman, I found out that Hermione was probably my mate."

She turned to Hermione. "But I kept it from you. I was entirely satisfied with our relationship then, and I didn't want to pressure you into anything. When I arrived for the Triwizard Tournament, we became quite inseparable — even hiding and sleeping at the library from Madam Pince. Those were good times."

Hermione smiled. Even if she couldn't remember any of these whatsoever, seeing Fleur's fond smile quite made up for it. She was startled as Fleur suddenly burst into a laugh.

Hermione furrowed a brow as Fleur trailed off in her laughter, with tears in her eyes.

"What's so funny?" Hermione asked, frowning.

"Ah, it's nothing, nothing."

"Maman, you have to tell us! No secrets!"

Fleur shook her head, a faint blush on her cheeks. She hesitantly turned to Hermione, slightly keeping her distance.

"Then fast forward, you ended up snogging me in front of the entire Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang at the Yule Ball," she muttered.

Hermione's eyes widened in disbelief. Lia burst into raucous laughter as she rolled on the floor.

"No way! That doesn't sound like me, Fleur!"

"Yes, it did happen," Fleur said, unable to hide a slight smirk.

Hermione was aghast.

"Ron kept repeating that you were fraternizing with the enemy by attending the ball with me. Plus, he said we were a pair of disgusting homos. At the time, we technically confirmed our feelings for each other weeks before the ball, but we didn't really decide on what our relationship was yet."

"So," she continued, chuckling, unable to hide her intent on watching every bit of Hermione's embarrassed expression, "when Ron confronted you at the ball, you grabbed me by the dress and snogged me in front of the entire student body. Then you shouted proudly, 'yes, I'm disgustingly in love with my girlfriend Fleur Delacour!' then pulled me out of the ball and snogged me senseless in the bushes. "

Hermione was now completely red as she struggled to form a single word.

"Mum, you're redder than Rose's hair," Lia teased. Hermione gave her a pointed look, then went back to a disbelieving face.

"No— no way..."

Fleur gave a slight smile, then coughed. "It is no problem, Hermione. Technically speaking, in this timeline, that never happened. Your secret is safe with us."

"I really wish I could remember everything," the brunette replied. "Although hearing from you is great, I'm sure actually remembering how I experienced them would have been completely different."

Fleur stilled, not knowing how to respond.

"Then let's just make up for it with new memories?"

Hermione and Fleur turned to Lia who had a determined look.

"I mean, no time better than the present, right?"

.

.

.

.

Victoire had just finished checking every corner of the Circle of Avelin and was now finishing up on going around Urlea Lake, now throwing stones as she mockingly shouted.

"Ah, my dear Aunt, I'm literally doing your work for you! Again!" She screamed into the trees.

She scoffed, throwing another rock into the crystal clear waters of the lake. The lake was surrounded by patches and clusters of high-reaching trees, towering over the lake as if they were its guardians. Every part of the lake's bottom was seen due to its crystal clear waters that glistened in the sunlight.

It was a lake that took about a 10-minute walk to get around, but nobody could quite enter it because of its water's burning properties— even burning veela. Victoire shuddered as she remembered one time she placed her hand in the lake as a child; the family had to stay a week longer because her hand was immediately burned.

 _Not doing that again_ , she thought, clasping her hands. _I'll have to bring Lia here one day; being a veela and never watching the sun set by Urlea Lake is unacceptable!_

Just like any other day, Victoire checked the lake thrice, casting checking spell upon checking spell on every corner, and of course, nothing out-of-order had been seen.

The content veela walked away, eager to report her nonexistent findings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *me holding myself back from confirming any theories* hope you all like the chapter and are having fun with life!


	26. Another Kind of Love

Victoire and Fleur sat around the table of the house, with Victoire looking down the window to the fields way below. She had been reporting to Hermione about the statuses of Urlea Lake and the Circle of Avelin. Hermione had now left temporarily to visit the two sites out of curiosity.

Victoire sat quietly, pondering on a few things. She hadn't really known how to act around Hermione after her beloved aunt and mother were confirmed to be true mates, much more when she found out about their relationship through the different realities... plus there was Lia, too.

No, it wasn't a matter of awkwardness or bitterness towards their now complicated relationship. In fact, Victoire was quite happy for her mother. Fleur didn't have to hide her true self around the person she truly loved. It was a bonus that it was with the aunt she adored, too.

She had two things to confirm, though.

"Maman, how long did Dad know?"

Fleur blinked. She placed her cup of tea down as she leaned forward, slightly speechless.

"How did you—"

"It doesn't take a lot for a child to notice when Dad would comfort you after a fight with Aunt Hermione. Plus, you kept talking about her in hushed whispers. I didn't even need Uncle George's Extendable Ears to know... although Dominique and I have tried, admittedly."

Fleur sighed. Victoire reached over and placed her hand on top of her mother's, squeezing it in reassurance.

"Bill knew since... the war."

Victoire stilled. _What?_

"When exactly, Maman?"

"When Hermione arrived at Shell Cottage from Malfoy Manor."

 _That early?_ Victoire thought. _That was even before I was born!_

Fleur looked at Victoire intently as the latter confusedly shook her head.

"When Hermione arrived at Shell Cottage, she was so broken and hurt. I had to heal her, even if I wanted to distance myself so badly. I had just started moving on, a newlywed with your father who loved me so very dearly." She frowned, taking a moment to collect herself.

"I didn't deserve him, Victoire," she said softly.

Victoire listened patiently as Fleur recalled everything.

* * *

_Fleur had spent most of her time cooped up in the room where Hermione lay silently and on the brink of death. If the blonde hadn't been draining all her magical energy desperately trying to heal Hermione's cursed and tortured state, she was crying in the corner as she muted her sobs, lest a confused bystander ask her why she was so affected by Hermione's tragedy. The two were neither close nor even proper friends. She wanted to avoid all the questions._

_Fleur had noticed the various whispers around the house between Harry and Ron, of course. And she knew it was about the Horcrux hunt. She felt twinges of regret eat at her, wishing that she were by Hermione's side while she, along with the rest of the trio, went on the dangerous hunt._

_"Maybe she wouldn't be in this state. It's all because of you," she told herself, drinking a bit of vodka stashed in the corner of the cupboard. She gulped the bottle down, willing her cries to be silent as a few stray strands of her hair fell on her face._

_She had stayed like so on the couch for a while, settling her sad veela down as it cried within her. The entire house was asleep save for her, and the early hours of the morning became her haven as she waited for Hermione to wake up— either watching Hermione herself or drinking herself just enough to forget the pain when Ron fell asleep next to Hermione. She couldn't bear watching the two together, after all. It broke her to no end._

_Whenever Ron came over to check on Hermione, holding her hand as she remained unconscious, she had to hold back her veela from attacking the boy._

" _He's just a boy," Fleur muttered to herself, busying herself with conocting potions and silently spelling veela spells into them._

_Fleur was now half-asleep by Hermione's bed, her eyes still red from crying that night. The sky was pitch black outside, and there was only silence as everyone was asleep. Then she felt movement._

_Hermione sat up abruptly, then swayed left and right as she attempted to balance herself. Fleur's eyes shot open. She placed a gentle hand on Hermione's shoulder, attempting to hold her in place. Mustering the most neutral yet concerned-enough expression, she checked Hermione's state._

_Then suddenly, Hermione's eyes filled with tears. Fleur frowned, placing a hand on the brunette's forehead, then neck, then cheek._

' _Is she in pain?' Fleur thought to herself, wracking her head of what spells she could have missed in treating Hermione._

_"Hermione you need to lay down. Your injuries--"_

_"Fleur... Fleur, it's me," Hermione said, choking on her tears and looking intently at Fleur, tightly holding her arms and gritting her teeth._

' _What is she talking about? Was she hallucinating? Why is she looking at me like that?' Fleur tucked a strain of hair behind Hermione's ear, looking at her intently in concern._

_Fleur looked at the side, finding a vial that might help in possible hallucinations. She sighed as she grabbed it, aleady_

_"What are you talking about, Hermione? I think you need a bit more re--"_

_"Her name meant golden."_

_Fleur immediately dropped the vial, snapping her head to Hermione without caring about the broken glass on the floor, the potion pooling beneath her feet. She look at Hermione's face, the brunette's eyes pooling in tears. Fleur tilted her head in confusion._

_'Aurelia?' Fleur thought to herself, not believing her ears._

_She placed both of her hands on Hermione's face, staring intently at the brunette and looking her up and down. Her eyes widened in recognition at the now shaking Hermione. She felt her veela cry from within her, pushing Fleur to embrace her mate. She felt her eyes shift slightly to a more silver color, a warm tear sliding down her cheek as she was rendered speechless._

' _She's here. My Hermione is really here.'_

_She shook her head, inhaling deeply._

_"I— I thought I had lost you, too." Fleur whispered, biting her lip and shakily releasing the breath she held._

_"Well, I'm here now," Hermione replied comfortingly, cupping Fleur's cheek and pressing their foreheads together. "And you're never going to lose me again."_

_Fleur had been so afraid of losing Hermione, wasting her nights in worry and stupor and crying and guilt. Now, Hermione was alive, and not only that— she had her memories returned._

_She was supposed to be happy, ecstatic even, that her mate had returned. Her veela was rejoicing, while confusedly asking Fleur why she wasn't joining in._

_But for some odd reason, all she could think of was the hidden sadness in Hermione's eyes, reminiscent of the last look she gave before Fleur sealed her veela. With the sadness, mixed fear and doubt, plus a hint of determination._

_Hermione was no doubt thinking about a multitude of things — ranging from sadness from the death of her daughter, desperation she had in solving the case, fear of what was to come, and the burden of facing the world once more._

_This, coupled with the Horcrux hunt and the physical weariness and pain she felt was evident in her emotion-filled expression, and Fleur could almost hear her own heart shatter from the sight._

_Was she really going to keep Hermione for her own selfish gain?_

_'She deserves better,' she thought, smiling grimly as she bit her lip._

_In the other room was a boy who would love her enough, make her happier than Fleur ever would... probably. She'd have a family of her own, pursue her own dreams, accomplish whatever she wanted— all without being shackled down by the burdens of the veela race._

_Hermione didn't deserve anymore burden than she already had, didn't deserve any more pain and suffering. Hermione deserved better..._

... _better than Fleur._

_She knew what to do._

_She averted her gaze from Hermione's confused eyes. Hermione brought Fleur's chin up to face her loving eyes, almost as if she hadn't just undergone torture days ago._

_'Damn it, stop looking at me like that!' Fleur thought, shaking her head as her lip started bleeding from biting it too hard._

_Hermione looked directly into Fleur's eyes, sincere and true. She spoke as if enunciating each word as gospel, breathing them out as if calling them from a distant life._

_"I love you, Fleur."_

_Fleur shook, choking out words as she sobbed, willing herself to look into Hermione's loving and unconditional and burdened brown eyes one last time._

_"Je t'aime, 'Ermione." she choked out._

_Hermione smiled softly, leaning close and putting her arms around Fleur's neck. Slowly, she brought their lips together._

_Fleur missed everything about Hermione— her soft lips that touched tentatively before deepening the kiss, her gently scent of parchment, flowers, vanilla, and hints of apple, her eyes twinkling with curiosity and unending adoration. If Fleur could, she would rather relive this dream over and over and over again rather than face tomorrow alone._

_But this sweet dream had to end._

_Slowly, Fleur put a hand to Hermione's head as she broke the kiss, sadly smiling at Hermione one last time._

_"Elavo."_

_"Hermione's awa-"  
_

_The door abruptly opened to Bill at the doorway, eyes widened as he witnessed the two women, Hermione's hair slightly glowing silver before going back to its original brown color. He blinked, realizing their position._

_"You— Fleur, were you just kissing Hermione?!"_

_Fleur immediately stood shocked, quickly casting a spell that rendered Hermione unconscious as she fell back on the bed and closing the door behind Bill._

_"We're in for a long talk, Bill."_

.

.

.

.

_Fleur and Bill had a lengthy discussion for hours and hours until the sun came up. They had transferred to another room as Hermione slept, with Bill watching Fleur giving a last glance at the brunette. Initially, Fleur had tried only giving the barest details— talking about Hermione and Fleur's mate status and talking about a past relationship._

_However, Bill was stubborn, seeing through Fleur's white lies sprinkled over the truth. He asked question after question until Fleur revealed close to everything— from the reality leaps, the Argenti case, and even the death of her first daughter. With each truth uncovered, Bill's face morphed from that of anger to that of pity, and then to that of concern._

_At this point, Fleur was dry of tears, unable to feel except for the empty cold she felt deep within, veela included._

_Bill frowned at Fleur's sorry state, shaking his head as he digested her words._

_As Fleur finished the end of her story, she stood up, walked to Bill and offered an apologetic half-smile._

_'Another casualty,' she thought. 'Again, all my fault.'_

_"Bill," she tentatively began, looking into the man who knew loved her with all his heart. "I can erase your memories; I'll act as if nothing was wrong. We were alright before this, and we can have that again."_

_Bill remained silent for a long while, pensive. Fleur sighed._

_"Or if you want... I'll leave after the rest of them are gone. I won't even wait for the end of this war. I'll be out of your hands before you know it. I'll be alright."_

_"No you won't, Fleur."_

_Fleur abruptly looked up at Bill's pained face. He clasped his hands together as he slouched and exhaled deeply._

_"You won't be alright," he repeated, smiling bitterly and standing up, walking to Fleur and sitting beside her. "You can't be too far from Hermione, right? Your veela will hate it, make things hell for you."_

_Fleur sat quietly. Yes, staying too far from Hermione would borderline kill her both physically and emotionally, but what was Bill getting to?_

_"You don't have to leave me. It'll be a good reason to at least stay by Hermione's side, even if it's from afar..." he trailed off before shaking his head. "And you don't have to wipe my memories either. I can't believe you've been through so much. I— I want to support you, Fleur. You can lean on me too, you know, even as a friend?"_

_Fleur swiped a tear, unable to believe her ears as she looked at a determined Bill who smiled._

_"We can be like that fake couple in that French movie we watched the other month," he said chuckling. Fleur laughed a bit, looking down as Bill wrapped an arm around her._

_"After all Fleur, you were always my best friend first."_

_Fleur bit her lip, looking into Bill's sad eyes. "But won't it hurt Bill? Forcing yourself to be with me? I don't want to do that to you."_

_Bill sat for a few moments, silent as he closed his eyes. He whispered._

_"Of course it will. It'll hurt a bloody lot."_

_He heaved a sigh._

_"But it'll hurt more knowing that the woman I love and care about is out there alone and hurting. I can't let you go like that."_

_He turned to Fleur with a sincere and childish smile._

_"And hell, I won't be forcing myself to be with you. It'll be like the good old times."_

_He grinned mischievously. "After they're leaving, we're finishing the vodka stock. Competition is up again, veela."_

_Fleur laughed, punching Bill playfully in the shoulder as he chuckled. Then she blinked in realization._

_"Merde, Bill. I think I've finished it all already."_

_Bill groaned._

.

.

.

.

.

"Right after that, Bill helped me remove any lingering memories Hermione may have had when she woke. Then, we told Ron to stay by Hermione's side, knowing she would wake up in a few hours. The rest is history."

"Ron and Hermione married with 2 children while Bill and I have 3 quite wonderful children we're proud of... with the help of some veela potions and rituals of course for the... err process. Couldn't really bring ourselves to do anything natural."

Victoire chuckled as she quirked her brow.

"So the great Fleur Delacour, deity in the flesh and thief of all hearts, is still a virgin in this reality?"

"Merde, Victoire, is that really what you're going to focus on?! Other questions, please!" A flustered Fleur exclaimed, crossing her arms. Victoire chuckled, enjoying watching the uncharacteristically unconfident mother of hers mumbling.

"Alright, fine. So why did you two divorce? And what does that have to do with the Argenti Case?"

Fleur sighed.

"I'm... not quite sure how it's related to the Argenti Case. It surprised the both of us when the Argenti started appearing actually," Fleur said, shrugging. "But we divorced because I wanted it, or at least... I forced it. I wanted to give your father a chance to find love for himself. He's currently choosing between a lovely woman at Gringotts, one of our co-workers, and a man at the Ministry. You should hear about his romantic adventures, Victoire. They're quite fun to listen to."

Victoire chuckled, playing with the spoon in her tea. The two remained in silence for a long while. Slightly impatient, Fleur spoke.

"Is that all you have to say and ask, Victoire? I expected you to have a list of never-ending questions. This is the first time I've heard you so silent, hmm?"

Victoire looked up, hesitating as she spoke.

"Maman, answer me honestly," she began, looking intently at Fleur who listened closely. "Did you ever love Dad?"

Fleur hummed in thought, straightening her back. After a moment, she stood and sat beside her daughter, gently holding her hand in reassurance.

"Victoire Weasley," she said softly, rubbing circles into Victoire's right hand as her daughter leaned her head on her shoulder, silent. "I'll admit I never loved your father quite the same way as I loved your Aunt Hermione. But do believe me when I say that I did love him, more than a best friend but less than a lover." Fleur began to fingercomb Victoire's hair.

"I thought I could learn to love him when we were dating... when we married... when we moved into Shell Cottage. I did love him, Victoire. We were together through thick and thin. I loved and adored him with all my heart, in the best way that I could and did... in the best way a friend could. I literally wouldn't have lived if it weren't for him. And I owe him my life. We were each other's closest confidant, toughest support, and best friend after all. Bill was everything I wanted and so much more..." she said, trailing off in thought.

"But?"

Fleur remained pensive as she continued stroking Victoire's hair.

"... But Hermione." Fleur said with a sad smile.

Victoire nodded, the two enjoying the comfortable thoughtful silence that settled. After a few moments, Victoire sat up and embraced her mother. Hearing the sound of branches creaking closer and closer, Victoire silently stood up and walked towards the door, spotting Hermione walking towards the house who just seemed to have gotten off the phone with Harry. Victoire smiled, turning slightly back to her mother as she went out.

"You said you _loved_ Aunt Hermione."

"Hmm? What about it?"

Victoire smirked, flipping her hair as she walked out the house.

"Oh, I thought you understood your tenses well. Use present when applicable, Maman."

Victoire ignored the annoyed shout from inside the house, shutting the door close as she came face-to-face with Hermione who was slightly confused.

"You're leaving already?"

"Yeah, Grandmaman wants me down by dinner, so she could finally meet Teddy through fire-call," Victoire rolled her eyes. "She's been pestering me about it for months already."

"Oh, alright. I'll talk to you about Urlea Lake and the Circle of Avelin after dinner, then. There really is nothing, though."

Victoire hopped onto the branch that brought Hermione, watching Hermione open the door to a slightly flustered Fleur. With a sudden thought, she grinned mischievously as she started traveling down the tree.

"Aunt Hermione, you better take care of Mum and teach her a few things! That old hag's still technically a virgin in this reality! 3 hours should be enough, right?"

Needless to say, a burst of both angry French and baffled English expletives were thrown at Victoire as she was carried down, laughing contentedly.

* * *

Hermione remained silent as she chewed. She glanced at Fleur a bit, noticing that the blonde was adamant about not looking at her as she held her hands together tightly, almost as if both holding herself back and punishing herself.

Hermione cursed under her breath for the third time that evening.

_Damn it, this is my fault. Why did my veela have to react so badly a while ago?!_

Upon hearing Victoire's teasing and immediately after entering the house, Hermione ran to the bathroom and shut the door, much to the confusion of a still-red Fleur. On the other side of the bathroom door was a crouching Hermione, hands around herself and taking deep calming breaths as she closed her eyes. Fleur waited patiently for any sign of movement, calling on Hermione gently. She sighed, eventually leaving Hermione to her own devices.

After a few more minutes, Hermione exited the bathroom, sweating profusely and even redder than when she entered. After a quick glance from Fleur to ensure she was alright, Fleur forced a smile and began to prepare dinner, not once looking at Hermione. Her replies were clipped and short, no matter how much the brunette reassured Fleur that she was alright.

_Damn it._

Now, Hermione watched Fleur intently as she ate silently, her eyes firmly on the beef stew on her plate. Unable to take the heavy stares from the woman in front of her, she slowly stood up and walked to a nearby wooden drawer, on top of which was a small speaker. She connected her smartphone to the device as she spoke.

"I was thinking," Hermione began. "I find it impossible that we haven't had close to any clue with who the perpetrator was, despite traveling back countless times, Fleur."

 _A change in subject would hopefully make her talk,_ Hermione thought.

Hermione smiled slightly as Fleur hummed in response, tilting her head in thought. She had visibly relaxed and went into thinking mode.

"Oui, I'm quite worried that they've been like us— traveling back in time, I mean." She whispered.

Hermione's thoughts drifted to her conversation with Harry before arriving at veela territory.

_"The third Argenti's magical signature seems... dead? Like we know there were 3 Argenti who were supposed to appear in 1993, but we can't seem to fully see the 3rd one. We can only trace fragments of them as if they didn't fully materialize— almost as if they vanished in mid-air."_

Hermione looked up at Fleur for the first time this evening with a slight realization.

"Fleur, Harry said that when he traced us using the lingering diamonds— you know because of the veelas—he didn't just find the two of us... he found... something like a third."

Fleur's eyes widened, turning back to a serious Hermione.

"That couldn't have been Lia? Her veela hasn't emerged at age 3 yet."

"Exactly."

The two remained silent, Fleur silent as Hermione pondered aloud, eyes in alarm.

"But Fleur, the trace wasn't complete. Why on earth would the trace be fragmented— why an incomplete magical signature, then?"

"I don't know."

Fleur sighed. "But one thing's for sure. It's a veela."

Hermione held her face in her hands as a barrage of thoughts overwhelmed her. Fleur continued.

"So the perpetrator's probably a time-traveling veela who has access to a large magical area aside from those on veela grounds."

_A veela? A veela has to do with all of this? That doesn't make any sense! And like what Victoire said, there really was no suspicious activity by the Circle of Avelin or Urlea Lake... It means that the place through which they're calling the Argenti is still somewhere else. None of it is adding up!_

She stayed sulking and deep in thought for a long while, conjecturing and wondering aloud as Fleur listened and added her own thoughts. This back-and-forth exchange continued for half an hour, and eventually, a long silence filled the room afterwards.

Fleur sighed, turning back to the speakers.

Hermione was immediately forced to get back to reality as her ears perked up to the sound of a familiar muggle song. She looked to Fleur who had her arms crossed who leaning on the wooden drawer behind her. A soft smile graced the blonde's lips.

"We used to play muggle tunes around the house, and we'd dance around the living room often. Lia joined us sometimes, but most of the time, it was just the two of us."

Hermione felt her shoulders relax as she looked at a wistful Fleur. However, she frowned when she noticed that the blonde still wasn't looking at her.

Without a second thought, Hermione reached her hand out.

Fleur raised a brow.

"Hmm?"

"Dance with me?"

Fleur stared back at Hermione incredulously.

"You... want to dance?"

"Yeah, we still have that deal of remembering our memories, right? I want to re-enact this."

Fleur scoffed. "Fine."

Without a second warning, Fleur pulled Hermione up from her chair and led the latter's arms around her own neck, placing her own hands around the brunette's waist. Fleur had to move back slightly in surprise from the close proximity, able to smell the brunette's gentle scent and feeling her body radiate warmth on her own as they pressed against one another in a lazy dance around the room. Hermione blushed slightly but refused to stop gazing at a hesitant Fleur. Fleur tried hiding a chuckle as she continued to dance, bringing the other slightly stumbling witch along.

Eventually, the two settled on a slow and relaxed pace as they swayed to the music. Fleur averted her gaze, looking past Hermione's eyes and finding anything to say.

"We used to dance often around the house like this, just in each other's arms like with a bit of muggle music in the background."

"Yes, you said that."

Hermione warmly smiled at Fleur's embarrassment, and after a bit of hesitation, pulled Fleur a bit closer and allowed their foreheads to touch. She felt comfortable and safe in the blonde's arms which gracefully pulled and led her. Eventually, the two ended up from the dining area to the larger space of the living room, the distant sounds of the music reaching from the other side.

Fleur bit her lip slightly as she watched Hermione, whispering. "Tell me if it becomes too difficult for your veela, oui? We can stop anytime."

Hermione, without a second thought, shook her head.

First, she didn't quite want to stop, considering how relaxing and warming the act of dancing was, especially with Fleur's sure arms leading her. Second, her veela had actually been acting up already, and she didn't want Fleur to notice as she took in another breath discreetly. Third, she felt her face warm at the sudden thoughtfulness of the other; she shook it off and hoped that her emotions weren't quite obvious on her face.

She coughed and spoke with the first thing that came to mind.

"What do we usually talk about when we dance?"

Fleur was now the one blushing. She averted her gaze slightly to focus on the clock behind Hermione, now reading 8:47. They had a bit more time before joining Victoire and Apolline to talk about the case. Fleur also wanted to bring something important up to about Lia, but that was for later. She gulped, thinking of how to respond to Hermione.

Hermione raised a brow as the other hesitated, slightly leading the pair off pace from the slow music.

"Nothing really," she mumbled. "We just repeatedly say we love each other."

Hermione chuckled, enjoying the flustered reaction of her mate. Slowly, she led Fleur's chin back to face her as she stared into her eyes.

"Can we do it?" She asked, then shook her head. "I mean, for re-enacting purposes," Hermione added a bit too quickly.

Fleur gulped, her ears now red as she struggled to retain her gaze.

"Merde, your veela's perfectly fine. I think mine's going to explode, 'Ermione."

"Fleur," Hermione warned.

Fleur sighed, looking down for a few moments and composing herself. She looked back at Hermione with sincerity and a tinge of sorrow, their foreheads touching once more. Hermione waited patiently as they swayed slowly, feeling the wood creak slightly beneath their feet as they danced.

The chorus of the muggle song playing had completely finished before Fleur spoke.

"I love you, 'Ermione," she whispered.

Hermione felt her heart swell in great love and slight anger — almost as if two separate people were reacting. Reigning her veela in, she cupped Fleur's cheek, feeling Fleur lean into the touch. Fleur gave a bittersweet smile, and for the first time that night, she looked at Hermione and only her.

All Hermione could think of was how much everything felt so right at that moment.

"I love you too, Fleur."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> bear with me there's so much I have to unpack first before jumping right into the mystery again (well we're jumping at it ish again next chapter soo) hope u guys have/had a good day :>


	27. Clues

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> xD

Fleur stood confidently by the wooden door, scraping her shoes on the rug beneath her feet. The sun was midway up the sky, hitting Fleur's back as she met her dark shadow on the door. She raised her hand to knock once.

Then twice.

She sighed.

_Merde, I could be somewhere else right now! Why must she be here only today out of all days?!_

Before her lay a house far-off from the center of the veela land, hidden behind layers of concealing magic. The house was small and slightly decrepit, with some of its wooden boards out of place and the patio having holes in some areas. It was obvious the place wasn't well-kept as the years wasn't kind to it.

Before her thoughts could continue, her ears perked up to the sound of shuffling on the other side of the door. There was a sound of unlocking and the door creaked open slightly.

On the other side was a slightly older woman, hair disheveled and eyes groggy, obviously having just woken up. Her eyes adjusted to the direct sunlight that hit her face, and upon recognition of the figure before her, her eyes widened.

"Fleur? I didn't expect for _you_ to come. It's been a long time."

Fleur crossed her arms, sighing.

"Yes, it's good to see you again, Mariana. I wish I were here for a better reason, but... I'm here to ask about your family."

* * *

"Well Hermione, I can't believe you've done it again... even beyond the walls of Hogwarts. Must trouble always find my brightest student?"

Hermione's chuckled, her face dancing in the flames.

"Forget Hogwarts, I've gone beyond realities already."

"So technically speaking, the Time-Turner I gave you wasn't the first you used, hmm? My, my, I thought that trouble would only follow you if you had Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley with you around! If I had only known that I had such a rule-breaker on my hands!"

"I really didn't know, Professor," Hermione replied jokingly.

"How many times must I repeat—"

"Alright, alright. I really didn't know, _Minerva_."

Minerva smiled at Hermione's face dancing in her fireplace at her office. The headmistress tapped her foot impatiently as she glanced at the clock. Hermione frowned.

"Err— I'm sorry that Lia's late, Minerva."

"No, no. That isn't your fault, Hermione. In fact, it is quite more of my own fault."

Hermione shook her head. "Minerva, I owe you my life for taking care of Lia all this time. Her stories about you were so full of love and fondness. I couldn't have asked for a better guardian to take care of our daughter."

The headmistress hummed, nodding.

"It was my pleasure, Hermione. Even without knowing that she was your daughter, it was fulfilling seeing such a wonderful child grow up." She tilted her head slightly.

"But I'm sure she'll thrive even more under you and Ms. Delacour's care. A pity that she couldn't join us today, especially with this important meeting."

Hermione sighed.

"Yes, today was the only time she could visit an important person she'd been trying to catch. It was a very sudden thing, since we only received news about it early this morning. She was quite dismayed, actually. After all, this was her idea."

The headmistress nodded. "Which reminds me, Hermione... how are the two of you doing?"

Hermione blushed slightly, raising her shoulders as she chewed on her lip.

"Truthfully, I don't know. The both of us are so conflicted and in our own heads, and right now, it's like we're dancing around each other. There's definitely something, but," she continued exasperatedly, wincing. "I don't know what she wants, Minerva."

"But what do _you_ want?"

Minerva watched Hermione's face slowly shift into various emotions as she grimaced, smiled, shook her head, and furrowed her brows. She sighed.

"All I know is I want to support Lia. And I want to be by Fleur's side. As for what... I still haven't decided yet."

The door abruptly opened to reveal an extremely flustered Lia, hair slightly disheveled and panting. The two adults looked at one another, raising their brows.

"Lia, why are you always late to our meetings?" Hermione asked gently, chuckling as Lia blew a strand of hair from her forehead, slightly annoyed. "And you always look like you've been running?"

"Mum, I swear..." She started, dragging her bag to a nearby chair as she sat and heaved a sigh. "Ever since you, Maman and I gathered and found out we were a family, my veela's been getting crazy powerful, including its thrall. And the bloody thrall's been driving everyone crazy! Damn it, I'm not used to a dozens of stupid boys drooling after me and chasing me!"

"Language, Lia," both Minerva and Hermione said sternly. The two looked at each other and chuckled.

Hermione shook her head, smiling as Lia sank into her chair, arms reaching the floor as she leaned back and looked at the ceiling.

"Argh, I miss the times when only a few people looked at me. Of course, my thrall started appearing when I turned 16, but I was able to control that! Ugh, I don't think I can control this much emanating from my veela."

She shook her head, slightly sitting up.

"Now, what's this meeting for? I doubt it's just to reminisce about old memories."

Minerva nodded, waving her hand to retrieve a parchment from a nearby drawer. She looked at it thoughtfully, her eyes tracing a few lines then handing it to Lia who looked at her confusedly.

"What's this?" Lia asked, quickly perusing the document in her hands, her eyes immediately widening as she looked to Minerva then Hermione who smiled widely.

"That," Minerva said, with a twinkle in her eye. "Is our request for you to officially become Fleur and Hermione's child. Your name will also formally be changed into Aurelia Delacour-Granger, should you wish to have that. Well of course, you can still use Evernight at Hogwarts while the Argenti case is ongoing."

Lia went speechless, looking back at the document then to the two women— then back to the document repeatedly, tracing her fingers over the name that was inked in bold.

_Aurelia Delacour-Granger._

A blot of tears stained the parchment, which Minerva immediately waved away from Lia's shaking hands.

"Oh dear, we'll have to prepare another document—"

She was interrupted by Lia's sudden hug as she quickly embraced the startled headmistress. Right after, Lia turned to Hermione and clutched her hand, slowly kneeling to the floor as she sobbed.

"Thank you, thank you..." She choked out, wiping her eyes as she struggled to continue.

She looked to Minerva who had a bittersweet smile.

"I'll miss you, Mum. Thank you for everything."

The headmistress chuckled, cupping Lia's face fondly.

"Oh, child. This isn't goodbye. You're never going to lose me."

* * *

Fleur sat across the other woman with a low rectangular table between them. Fleur struggled to keep her seat stable as it creaked from side to side, one of its legs slightly shorter than the others. She sipped a bit of her tea then looked to a waiting Mariana.

"How have you been, Mariana?"

Mariana shrugged. "There have been better times."

Fleur nodded, placing down her cup. She leaned forward.

"I'm sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask some questions about the Chaves family."

The older woman winced, shaking her head as she crossed her arms.

"And why do you think I would answer that? Apolline and Eve have already tried getting answers out of me, ambushing me every time I appear here once every few months. And now they send you, too?"

"I'm not here to convince your family to return to the veela lands."

Mariana blinked, obviously confused.

"Then what—"

"I'm here to ask about the _real_ reason why you all are sealing your veela," Fleur replied seriously, sighing. "You gave us reasons that it was to better integrate yourselves into society, but that's not the real reason, is it?"

Mariana's eyes widened.

"How did you know that?"

Fleur leaned forward.

"Because unlike the other veela, I know that your clan isn't that selfish. Outwardly, you project yourselves as proud veela who only care about themselves, but you care about the entire flock, don't you?"

Mariana averted her gaze, gulping.

"Now, what was the real reason why you all suddenly decided to distance yourselves from the flock? Why seal all of your veelas away, including the newborns'?"

Mariana sighed.

"One of our own seers had a dream— a prophecy. We thought it was a fluke, probably a mistake. But when we consulted one another and the other seer veelas in our family, we knew it was right."

"What was the prophecy?"

Mariana stared solemnly into her cup, furrowing her brows.

"That a powerful child born into our family will bring about the destruction of the entire flock... And that another race will rise to take its place."

* * *

Lia played with the potatoes on her plate, keeping her head low as half the student body in the Great Hall stared at her, with some discreetly throwing glances, some chattering amongst themselves, and some openly staring at the poor veela.

She grunted, bringing out the largest book she could find in her bag and enlarging it with a quick spell, covering her entire face. Footsteps approached and sat by her; she sighed in annoyance, quickly facing the next set of students who dared sit with her.

"Listen, I'm waiting for my friends, and you're the third group—"

Laurel, Wendy, and Rose chuckled as Lia heaved a sigh of relief, immediately grabbing Rose and burying her face in her robes. Wendy frowned.

"Are they still staring? I can't take it, sis!" She said, whispering and hiding almost her entire upper torso and head.

"Yeah, still staring. Just get used to it. It's not everyday you've become the heartthrob of Hogwarts."

Lia scowled.

"I hate it! The boys won't leave me alone. Some girls, too! I just want to eat in silence. Meet you guys at the library, corner table. I can't stand this."

She took her head out, chomping down the last bit of her potatoes and downed the rest of her juice. With a quick flip of her hair, she stomped away, a group of boys following in her wake.

Wendy chuckled.

"I have to admit. Lia looks extra beautiful today; it's like she's sparkling, her hair's all shiny, and the way she walks is entrancing. My best friend's become quite the center of attention."

Laurel rolled her eyes, immediately getting a serving of roast chicken.

"If you mean the way she's stomping like an idiot and how her hair's all sweaty from running, plus she just looks red because she's exhausted, then yeah, that's another way to put—"

Rose butted in, smiling.

"You're just jealous because you're a veela and you haven't gotten the thrall yet."

Laurel furrowed her brows. "Shut up! I don't even want to be a veela."

Rose chuckled, ignoring her and sipping her juice. Wendy ignored the food, tilting her head, facing the two others.

"Rose, you and Lia are hiding something, aren't you? Something big."

Rose remained calm, putting down her glass and acted as if surprised.

"What?" Rose asked, slightly opening her mouth, quirking a brow. "We're not hiding anything."

"Admit it, you two keep getting Shirley to get Laurel and I out of the Room of Requirement. Plus, Lia's stopped staring at the fire like an idiot ever since we came back the other time. Come on, spill!"

Wendy gave the biggest puppy eyes she could muster, much to Rose's laughter and Laurel's disgust, making exaggerated puking faces on the side. Wendy scowled at Laurel.

"You're supposed to help me out here!"

"I know, I know. I want to know too, Rose. But Wendy, stop trying to use your not-yet-Rose's-girlfriend-but-close-enough card; it's disgusting."

"Yeah," a voice said. "Disgusting."

Hugo abruptly sat in Lia's seat, startling the group slightly. He pointed his finger back and forth at Wendy and Rose accusingly. He tapped his fingers on the table.

"I'm telling Mum I saw you two snogging in an empty classroom before the party. Literally eating each other's faces and your hands everywhere! It's like you were about to—"

Rose covered Hugo's mouth as his voice muffled, noticing the nearby table looking at the group with curiosity. She gave Wendy an apologetic look, both as red as tomatoes. She turned to her flailing brother, seething.

"Hugo Weasley, mind your own business. It's not like Scorpius and Albus are any better."

"Whatever. I'm writing a letter right after this. I'm gonna become Mum's favorite child now."

"Hah! Impossible."

He quirked a brow. "And why?"

She smirked. "One day, you'll know you ignorant child. One day."

Confused, he escaped his sister's grasp, sticking his tongue out as he ran away. Rose chuckled, humming to herself as she ate her food, much to the confusion of her friends.

_Not with me and Lia around, little brother._

Rose took three bites of stew and bread, then abruptly stood up.

"Not that hungry. I'm going to the library to catch up with Lia. Catch you guys later?"

She barely said the last few words as she rushed out the Great Hall, leaving a half-chewing Laurel and annoyed Wendy in her wake. Wendy rolled her eyes and munched down her food.

"She's not exactly acting like a pseudo-girlfriend now, is she? Hand me those pork chops."

.

.

.

.

Lia and Rose sat around the table hidden in a corner at the library, secluded from any wandering eyes, especially those of annoying admirers who followed Lia.

"Dammit, even Mamura's been following me," Lia said, scowling as she angrily inked in the last sentence on her paper. "I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm not excited for when class starts in a few days. How on earth am I going to learn with a bunch of buffoons looking at me like I'm a piece of meat?!"

She sighed, quickly opening a book on veela legends she got from the Room of Requirement.

"Oh," Rose said, remembering something as she looked at the book. "Lia, it completely slipped my mind, but do you know the 'Tale of the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Birds'? The more that I think about it, the more it makes sense that it's a veela tale."

Lia shook her head regretfully.

"Unfortunately, if ever Mum or Maman's told me that story in the past reality, I don't remember. What's it about?"

"Well, it's exactly that, a story about a bunch of birds that were apparently a family. Honestly, I don't memorize it, but..."

She quickly glanced of Lia's book and grabbed it out of her hands.

"Hey!"

Rose flipped through the pages, immediately finding the page she was looking for. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"I was right! It really is a veela tale!"

She was about to hand the book over to show Lia the pages... when she felt it.

Someone was watching.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

Rose quickly glanced around, abruptly closing the book and unconsciously drew her wand out. She looked behind the nearby shelves, finding no set of eyes pointing at them. All she could hear was the sound of distant chatter and laughter from the faraway tables. Meanwhile, Lia also had her wand out as she stood up, her chair toppling back with the sudden movement.

Nobody looked at the fallen chair.

"You felt that, too?"

"Yeah," Lia said seriously, packing both of their bags and grabbing her sister's hand. "Let's get out of here."

* * *

Fleur was now going up the treehouse, still deep in thought. She ignored the faeries that tried chatting with her, politely asking them to leave her alone.

_A child born into the Chaves family will bring about the destruction of the entire flock. And another race will take its place? Are they talking about the Argenti? But they aren't exactly a race, are they?_

Fleur walking into the empty house as she placed down her bag. There wasn't any movement or sound around the house. Usually, when Fleur arrived, Hermione would be out and about right away.

No response. She sighed.

_Probably at Maman's, then._

She paced around the room. Her thoughts were cut by the phone in her pocket vibrating. She answered the incoming call.

"Bill, anything new?"

"Fleur, I have... a bit of a new find? Although, I could hardly call it a lead."

"Anything is fine," Fleur replied, sitting on the couch as she yawned. "Anything would help us get out of this quagmire, honestly."

He nodded, his voice taking a more serious tone. "I've spoken with Neville, and he said that the professors figured that a spelled object caused the fire."

Fleur rose a brow, standing up.

"What do you mean a spelled object? And was it a veela spell?" She quickly added.

Bill sighed. "No, it wasn't a veela spell. The professors, along with the aurors, didn't find any trace of magic from wands of students who were at Gryffindor tower. They checked other students not present as well."

"But they did find that the fire in the Gryffindor common room was caused by a specific object releasing a timed spell, meaning the perpetrator wasn't at the event. They spelled an object and somehow was able to bring it inside the common room. Then, the object released the spell at a certain time."

"In addition to that, remember that there was an attack sort of like an explosive fire at the girl's dormitories. The same spell was used, a timed spell on an object."

Fleur furrowed her brows at these new pieces of information.

She spoke. "So not a veela spell? But that has to have been a difficult spell to use, probably only someone with great mastery in charms could cast such a spell."

Bill shrugged. "The perpetrator used some pretty complex magic, so it's either this person was well-beyond their years or has access to other more powerful people who would even remotely know about the spells used."

 _Was this the veela's doing?_ Fleur thought, tightening her grip on her phone.

_But why not use a veela spell, then, considering the element used was fire? There are so many other better alternatives if veela magic was used._

"Was the same object used for both the fire at the common room and the explosion at the girls' dormitories?"

"I'm not quite sure," he simply replied. "Although, it would be really difficult to have the same object cause both the fire and explosion since they happened close to simultaneously."

The two took a moment in silence.

"Alright," Fleur tiredly replied. "Thanks for the information, Bill. I'll figure something out."

Another long silence.

Bill coughed then hesitantly spoke. "You alright? You seem quite enervated. How are things with Hermione?"

Fleur sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She walked towards the window and looked out to the fields below. It wasn't even noon yet, and she felt exhausted already.

"It's just been a long day. And with Hermione, I don't know. Everyday it gets harder and harder to pull myself back. She's pushing herself towards me, and I feel like I'm.... I'm falling in love all over again. Merde, I'm enamored by everything about her— everything she does has me wrapped around her fingers, and I just know one day I'm going to give in Bill."

She could feel the frown of her ex-husband through the phone.

"We've talked about this already, Fleur. Stop holding yourself back and giving a multitude of stupid excuses. You deserve each other."

Fleur shook her head, changing the subject before another onslaught of sermons were released from Bill's mouth.

"And how about you? Any luck with your love life?"

Bill chuckled. "Yeah, I'm seeing Lucas. We're on our fourth date already."

"Ha! Harper was much too boring for you, hmm? I knew it."

"Of couse you did, veela!"

She smirked, pulling off her heels as she walked towards her room, phone nestled between her ear and shoulder as she spoke.

"By the way, I told Victoire everything."

Bill blinked. "Everything?"

"Everything. So go ahead and give her a firecall sometime. She'd love to hear your side of the story, too."

He hummed. She could feel the smile on his face through the phone. "How did she take it?"

"Oh Bill," she chuckled. "She's quite the mature young lady. She took it better than I expected."

"That's great to hear," he said, laughing. "Unlike her own mother, honestly. And you're probably already a hundred years old cumulatively."

Fleur opened the door, rolling her eyes and about to remove her coat.

"Shut up, Bill! I'm not—"

Fleur stopped midway, jaw slackening and eyes widening in surprise at the scene before her. Before her was a half-naked Hermione, in the middle of dressing and only in black lingerie. She had obviously just woken up, her eyes still bleary as she stretched her arms up, taut muscles exposed to a dumbfounded Fleur. Fleur couldn't keep her eyes from trailing across Hermione's body, no matter how much she tried.

Slightly tanned, smooth skin save for the scar on her arm.

Toned abs lining her stomach.

Long legs as she stretched upward.

Curves everywhere.

_Mon Dieu, it's like she never aged._

Hermione screamed, immediately jolted awake, and jolting Fleur in surprise as well as she widened her eyes further.

"Don't you know how to knock, Fleur?!"

Fleur was rendered fully speechless, and before she knew it, the door was immediately shut, the sound of clothes hitting the door and startling her. A loud voice resounded from the other side, shrilled and obviously embarrassed.

Fleur couldn't help the smirk turned grin that plastered her face. She immediately snapped out of it, inwardly slapping herself as she rubbed her mouth in frustration. She ignored the sounds from her phone, immediately ending the call as her mind went into overdrive. She physically tried shaking her thoughts from heading to the few glimpses she had of Hermione.

_Non. Stop— stop thinking about 'Ermione's body! Don't think about her beautiful legs— non, non—and supple skin and— non!—she still has those abs—non—she still likes black in this reality?! And her butt is still—_

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the opening of the door and a quick pull into the room. She turned around, expecting a fully-clothed and angry Hermione who would tell her off to oblivion. Instead, her brows rose and her blush deepened, met by a partly scowling, partly amused Hermione, obviously still half-naked, and just with a translucent opened robe worn on top.

Fleur stared dumbly at Hermione, raking in her figure.

"Really now, Fleur? The only way you're going to look at me properly is if I'm half-naked?!"

Fleur shook out of her stupor once more, immediately averting her gaze as she gulped. She focused on anything in the room. The flower vase on the table, the books left opened by the bed, Hermione's clothes littered close to the door.

_Merde._

"'Ermione, I'm going out right now," she choked out.

"Was that Bill on the phone?" Hermione asked, slightly annoyed as she crossed her arms.

_Her veela's acting up again. Not a good sign. Have to get out._

Fleur ignored her. "I'm— I'm going now. I don't think I'll be able to hold myself back," Fleur stammered, quickly turning around and reaching for the door. Before she could turn the knob, Hermione's arm abruptly slammed the door closed, her arm firmly situated between herself and the door, sandwiching Fleur in place.

Fleur gulped. She could have sworn she heard a low growl behind her.

"You're not going anywhere."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back to the mystery! and lol what have I done xD Hope you guys are having a wonderful week so far! :>


	28. Tales

Rose and Lia slammed the door of the Room of Requirement closed, catching their breaths as Rose walked to the couch and Lia slid down the door, falling to a crouch. They had taken a much longer route going to the Room of Requirement, going through a number of turns and secret passages to ensure they weren't going to be followed. The two looked at one another, giving each other a knowing glance.

"Shi—Shirley," Lia breathed out, throwing her bag at Rose who caught it lazily.

A concentrated Shirley appeared in front of Lia, her hands deftly solving the last turns of a jumbled-up Rubik's cube. The elf beamed, about to show Lia the finished product when she dropped the cube, finding a serious Lia exhausted on the floor.

"Miss Lia, Shirley has finished the Rubik's cube faster than your record from the other day. But what is wrong, Miss Lia? Why is the Miss on the floor?"

"Shirley, can you watch the door outside and make sure nobody, as in _nobody_ comes near. Tell us if anybody suspicious comes later on. Oh, and if it's Wendy or Laurel, tell them we need to use the room for an emergency."

With a quick nod, the elf disappeared.

Rose spoke.

"What was that? It felt like somebody was watching us... really intently."

Lia huffed. "Yeah, I felt it too when we were at the Gryffindor common room. Right after the incident, I mean. Toss me the book, will you?"

Rose rolled her eyes, walking towards Lia and handing the book over.

"If Mum knew about your pernicious treatment of books, I swear she's going to give you quite the scolding," Rose muttered, tiredly falling into the stack of pillows in the corner and facing Lia.

"Now Lia, should we call Mum and Aunt Fleur? I mean, that's why you brought us here, right?"

Lia nodded.

"Yeah. We've got loads to discuss."

* * *

Fleur inhaled deeply, afraid to turn around to face Hermione lest her eyes wander again. She felt Hermione's body radiating warmth, immediately flooding her veins and her face as she struggled to compose herself. Her veela felt like it was going to melt then and there, telling Fleur to surrender herself to Hermione. She clenched her jaw.

 _Shut up, veela!_ She inwardly exclaimed.

"Ho—ho—how was the talk with Lia and Minerva?" Fleur stammered out, wincing at her lame change of topic. _Smooth, Fleur. Definitely out of touch,_ she thought to herself. She could have sworn she heard her own voice and her veela's melding in an internal scream... although her veela was crying for joy while Fleur's was in utter panic.

She slowly tried to maneuver herself out of Hermione's cornering, taking care not to both touch so much as a limb or look at Hermione, no matter how brief. She knew herself too well; it would be over once she turned around.

But Hermione was too fast, slamming her other arm to the door and completely sealing Fleur's only way of escaping. Fleur jolted slightly in surprise, turning back to facing the door.

"We can talk about Lia later," Hermione said seriously. "But right now, I want to talk about _us._ "

Fleur gulped and steeled herself, shakily turning to face Hermione, and immediately forced herself to look up at the ceiling, not taking a chance at even glancing at the serious brunette.

"Fleur, my eyes are down here."

Fleur winced, not letting her eyes wander again.

"Mon Dieu, put some clothes on first, 'Ermione!" She shouted, all her pent up panic exploding as she screamed. She felt cornered, her lungs breathing heavily as she inhaled Hermione's scent all over.

_Everywhere. I can feel her everywhere._

Realizing that the brunette was inexorable and wasn't going to budge, Fleur shook her head and met Hermione's eyes fiercely. Initially, she met Hermione with the same intensity, pride overcoming her as her walls came right back up.

But her confidence waned when her eyes unknowingly went down to Hermione's half-dressed state. Her breath hitched at the sight, finding skin and curves and muscle as if taunting her. Fleur's heart was beating so fast now; her eye twitched as she forced her hands as much as possible away from Hermione.

It was getting harder and harder by the second.

"'Ermione, s'il vous plaît, your veela's affecting you—"

"My veela is telling me to beat you up, not corner you like this," Hermione snapped back. She rolled her eyes at Fleur's insistence on not looking at her.

She pressed closer to Fleur, only a few centimeters separating them, ignoring her own flustered face and gathering a bit more Gryffindor courage. Fleur bit her lip.

"You won't look at me, but you can talk to your ex-husband so freely?! Just the mention of Bill's name fires up this irrational jealousy in me. Why can't you talk to me like that?" Hermione close to spat out, trying to even out her breathing as she closed her eyes momentarily.

"Fleur, I'm willing to fight for you, even if this bloody veela of mine is going to kill me one day for it. I don't care anymore! Everything else, every ounce of my mind, every beat of my heart, every fiber of my body is screaming for you. It's _begging_ for you."

"And it hurts even more... more than the fighting veela in me... that you aren't even going to look at me, Fleur. You aren't even going to give me a chance. I swear, the only time you're looking at me is when I force you to!"

"I am looking!" Fleur exclaimed, locking her eyes with Hermione's. Fleur sharply exhaled as Hermione intently watched her every move. "I am looking but..." she repeated, although a bit weaker as in her peripheral vision, she could see close to every bit of Hermione's toned body. The robe did nothing to cover her lingerie and toned body. If anything, Fleur felt even more aroused. Her head started throbbing, the blood starting to reach her head as she felt a bit dizzy.

_I'm not going to last any longer._

"I'm just... I'm afraid I'm going to do something I'll regret."

"Like what?"

Fleur remained silent, immediately regretting her words as she bit her inner cheek. She shook her head hesitantly.

"Like what, Fleur?" Hermione demanded, narrowing her eyes and pushing a bit more forward. Fleur's breath hitched again as her eyes flitted to part of Hermione's robe, which fell off her right shoulder, revealing much more of the brunette's skin.

Wrong move.

Fleur's thoughts unconsciously drifted to the past realities, where she and Hermione did other things in this position. Distant moans and touches filled her mind as she struggled to get back to reality. Without a care, she knocked her head back and ignored the pain of smashing her head to the door.

_Non. Stop thinking!_

She interally pushed her thoughts away hurriedly. Sweat trickled down her brow as she forced her mouth to say something— anything.

And the first thing that came to mind was the truth.

"Like— like kiss you or something," she murmured, not registering her own words.

"Then do it."

"What?" Fleur snapped her head; everything went back to her full force. She stopped breathing for a moment, her lungs caught mid-air as if not knowing what to do. She was remotely aware of the hesitation in Hermione's voice, but the brunette pushed forward, her tongue slightly wetting her lips. Hermione had lowered her voice to a tone that sent shivers down Fleur's spine.

"Kiss me."

Fleur was left speechless as she gazed into Hermione's determined and pleading eyes. The blonde bit her lip... hard. It slowly bled as she used up the last bit of her willpower.

Hermione promptly let go of the door, tracing Fleur's cheek and gently touching the blonde's bleeding lip. She gently wiped away a bit of the blood as if in a slight trance, leaning closer.

Fleur was mesmerized, unable to keep her eyes off of Hermione.

"Stop resisting," she said breathlessly.

Fleur felt a jet of arousal shoot through her. She'd only seen this Hermione in the past realities, when Hermione was past the point of reasoning, when she meant business with getting something she wanted. Fleur gulped.

_Hermione's serious._

"Your veela—"

"I don't care about my veela," Hermione said breathlessly, leaning in and pressing her forehead against Fleur's. "I'm the one talking. I'm in control."

Fleur hummed shakily, as the words _in control_ repeated in her mind. Her body tensed further and, her back was firmly pressed against the door behind her.

"Don't say such things," Fleur whispered back unconvincingly.

_Merde, my self-control... I'm at my limit._

_Just do it, Fleur!_ She heard her veela scream, Fleur's eyes dropping to Hermione's lips, half open and waiting. It wasn't helping that Hermione was flush red, and her body was now completely against Fleur's. She could feel Hermione's curves, her abs, her smooth skin, her everything, just beckoning Fleur to just give in.

Fleur's eyes widened as Hermione went closer, the latter's eyes flitting to the other's lips.

Hermione leaned in... and kissed so so so dangerously close to the corners of Fleur's mouth.

One on the right.

A twinge of disappointment as Fleur closed her eyes shut. She was shaking uncontrollably now, exhaling deeply as Hermione moved to the other side.

And one on the left.

Fleur's chest rose and fell heavily, feeling more impatience than panic now.

_I want her... want more._

The struggle was evident on Fleur's face. Hermione didn't waver in her intense gaze as she pulled back slightly to watch her.

"You don't know what you're doing, 'Ermione," she croaked out.

"I do," Hermione whispered back. Fleur could have sworn she could hear the sound of Hermione's heart thumping loudly through her chest. They were breathing the same air now, their deep breaths now in sync. Hermione leaned in slightly, only leaving a slight push's worth of space for Fleur to close.

Fleur's lungs completely stopped.

"I want _you_ , Fleur. I choose _you,_ " Hermione breathed out.

"Now kiss me already."

.

.

.

.

"What in the bloody flying fuck?!" Rose exclaimed, falling back as she blinked wildly in shock.

Lia's eyes widened as she sat dumbly, watching her parents by the door of their room, a half-naked Hermione pressed fully on Fleur, both flustered and breathless. The two seemed to have been about to lean in towards each other for a kiss, yet with the teenagers' interruption, Fleur immediately pushed Hermione off, a little too hard as the latter toppled backwards and onto the bed, crashing into the stack of pillows.

"I thought you guys were still at the being-shy-around-each-other stage," Rose stammered turning around as she wiped her eyes. "Guess you skipped a bunch of steps."

"A whole lot of steps," Lia added, smirking as she enjoying the flustered reaction of her parents. "Wow, is it hot in here?" She fanned herself as her parents collected themselves in a hurry.

Hermione quickly spelled her own translucent robe opaque as she wrapped it around herself on the side while Fleur straightened her back and walked to the fireplace. She gave the most serious expression she could muster, although her ears were still red from embarrassment. She seemed relieved.

"What did you two need? This isn't usually the time we talk. It has to be urgent."

"Non, non," Lia said mischievously, trying a French accent and wiggling her brows. "I want to know more about what was happening _before_ we came here. I want something _juicier_ than our insipid news."

"Aurelia Delacour-Granger!" Fleur said, again completely red. Hermione took a seat beside Fleur, both unable to look at each other. Hermione muttered a quick 'you're not getting away with this' under her breath.

Rose elbowed Lia who recoiled slightly. Lia rolled her eyes but grinned widely.

"Just tell them already, Lia. We're kind of in a rush."

"Fine," Lia said, replacing her grin into a more neutral expression.

"We felt like we were being watched at the library, especially after," Lia brought up the book in her hands, flipping to the page with the Tale of the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Birds. "After we started talking about this."

The two women raised their brows.

"That's the story I used to tell Rose as a child. Also, apparently, that's the story I used to tell you, Lia."

Rose nodded as Lia silently read the story for the first time, her eyes quickly tracing the lines as she flipped through the pages.

"Do you have any idea who was watching you?" Fleur asked, concerned.

Rose shrugged. "It could be anybody. A lot of people were following Lia around, too, especially with her thrall. They could easily fit in with a crowd of boys following her around."

Fleur hummed in thought. After a few moments, Lia frowned, finishing the last page of the tale.

"This story's incomplete."

"Hmm?" Fleur asked, leaning forward. "What are you talking about?"

"I don't know it just feels like it's incomplete. Call it a hunch; it's missing something important. Plus, this story.... is oddly familiar."

Rose rolled her eyes. "Well of course it is. Mum told it to you when you were a child!"

Lia shook her head, turning to her sister seriously.

"No, I mean, it sounds a lot like us."

The rest of the group turned to each other, confused. Hermione addressed Lia.

"That's an age-old story, Lia. Are you sure?"

"Positive." Lia nodded. "Here, listen."

.

.

.

.

_There once was a bird — a bird quite unique._

_It flapped feathers of silver unlike those of the others_

_One-of-a-kind with its bright, twinkling color_

_It was shunned by the rest and flew into the night_

_Until one day it vanished — no more, out of sight_

_It ventured the world to seek a companion_

_A like-colored bird who wouldn't abandon_

_The one lonely bird who chirped in the night_

_And whose long melodies were of sadness and fright_

_But one quiet day, while singing, the lonely bird_

_Was joined by another, its melodies finally heard_

_Yet sorrow-filled it as their colors didn't match_

_So away the silver bird flew without getting attached_

_Yet together they traveled the world as a pair_

_And slowly but surely they weren't aware_

_That in color and fondness, they started to match_

_So they settled one day, with love, on a branch_

_Silver bore bronze, as a hatchling emerged._

_And the family spent their years in the happiness they deserved_

_Yet one day, the bronze hatchling woke with a start_

_Its parents were gone, their trails apart_

_So it flew to each of the opposite directions_

_And was heartbroken to find upon closer inspection_

_Each silver bird with another bronze hatchling in their nest_

_Lonely and abandoned, the child left with a pained chest_

_With tears overflowing, the bird returned left alone_

_Wallowing in despair for losing its home_

_Wishing a life away from these thoughts, it was surprised:_

_Its own feathers turned golden... before its very eyes!_

_There once was a bird — a bird quite unique._

_It flapped feathers of gold unlike those of the others_

_One-of-a-kind with its bright, twinkling color_

_It was shunned by the rest and flew into the night_

_Until one day it vanished — no more, out of sight_

_It ventured the world to seek a companion_

_A like-colored bird who wouldn't abandon_

_And was quite astonished to find yet another_

_Bird with hues of gold, yet much more faded, on its feathers_

_The two lonely birds outcasted yet together_

_Soared through the skies with an otherworldly power_

_Golden in name, they seeked and they roamed_

_Searching for a dwelling that they could call home_

.

.

.

.

"See?" Lia said, showing some of the drawings of the forest and birds in the pages. She pointed at one of the birds that sported golden feathers.

"That's literally me. I'm the Golden One."

She turned the page.

"And I'm guessing you two are the silver birds," she said, looking at Hermione and Fleur. "Besides, Mum wasn't originally a veela. So she turned silver only after mating with Maman."

"And the two other bronze birds were Rose and Victoire," Fleur added softly. She turned to Lia.

"What's so incomplete about that story, Lia? You've got an exposition, introduction of characters, conflict, and a resolution for the golden bird."

"I'm not joking, Maman!" Lia loudly stated, flipping through the book's pages as she scanned them. She pointed to a few other drawings scrawled in black ink.

"Look, there are a few drawings depicting other parts of the veela tribe like this gathering spot at sunset, the two golden birds flying out of the tribe, the entire flock of birds gathered around, and the golden bird reuniting with the silver parents plus the 2 other bronze birds."

Fleur shrugged. "Those might just be extra drawings?"

Lia shook her head, still going through the book.

"It's missing something important. I just... my veela feels it."

"Your veela feels it?" Hermione asked, raising a brow and watching her daughter stand up to pace back and forth as she chewed on her lip.

Rose addressed her sister, standing up and placing her arms on her tense shoulders.

"I mean I get it; I would want to know what happens to the golden bird, too," she said reassuringly. "We have to know the ending, right? So we know you'll be with us?"

"Yes," she replied. "And the first thing the veela books taught me— that Grandmaman taught me was to always trust your veela. My veela says it's incomplete."

She turned to Fleur. "Maman, do you know where the original copy of the story is? The missing parts have to be there."

Fleur nodded, immediately summoning an owl and writing a letter. She hurriedly spoke as she handed the letter to the owl, which immediately flew out the window.

"Your grandmaman has the copy in the original book passed down from generation to generation, at least in our family. It's kept in her library for safe-keeping. I asked for it just now, and she'll owl it back to me as soon as she gets my letter."

After a few minutes of silence, indeed, the owl did return. However, it came empty-handed save for a piece of parchment with quick writing, which Fleur immediately snatched.

She read the letter quickly, and her eyes widened. She turned to her family, alarmed.

"The pages have been ripped out. They're missing."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright incomplete tale, check. my sanity while writing that, gone. xD
> 
> have a great day/night!


	29. Weapons of Choice (Part 1)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read when you have the brain cells! xD Sort of info overload/recap incoming oop

The family went into much discussion about the tale, the Argenti case, the Chaves family, and the incidents at Hogwarts, racking all of their whirring brains for leads and connections.

They started with the message and explosion incidents at Hogwarts.

Fleur recounted all of the information she had, including the use of objects to cause the incidents at Gryffindor tower. She explained what Bill told her, ignoring the subtle frown Hermione sported at the mention of her ex-husband's name.

"So you have one or two objects in the Gryffindor common room and girls' dormitory at the time of the incidents?" Rose asked.

"Yes, so the initial impression you get is it's most likely a Gryffindor who caused the incident," Fleur replied.

Lia frowned. "Well, that might be what they want us to think. They could have snuck in the items through an accomplice or attached something to a few Gryffindors as well. All we know is the individual is a student or professor or has connections to someone in Hogwarts. Plus, they're able to use such complicated spells, or have connections to someone who can."

The blonde also gave a rundown on everything about the possible perpetrator— probably a time-traveling veela with access to a magical area separate from veela grounds. She was almost certain that the veela also ripped the pages out of Apolline's book, considering that the tale seemed to be extremely important.

Then, they went on to discuss the tale and its characters. They had reasoned that most likely, the perpetrator stole the pages from the Delacour villa on veela lands. However, this would be extremely difficult to do considering how well-guarded the villa was from trespassers magically. Furthermore, they would have to know exactly when nobody was there, which meant they had insider information.

Although they couldn't rule out all possibilities, they took into consideration the possibility that the Golden One referred to by the perpetrator was one of the characters in the tale.

First, the two Golden Birds were most likely to be Laurel and Lia.

Both were powerful, evidently seen from Laurel's reveal of her powers in the latest Quidditch match and Lia's winning streak over Laurel with their spars. Both also had "golden" in their names, with Lia's birth name quite literally meaning 'golden' while Laurel's 'aurel' segment also means 'golden.' Lastly, both were outcasts, with Laurel being an outcast of the veela clan with her sealed powers while Lia was an outcast of this reality.

However, as Hermione pointed out, Lia seemed like the Golden One that the perpetrator was looking for, at least considering the tale's focus on her — her parents, her siblings, her companion in the other bird. Also, the other golden bird— most likely Laurel—was described to have faded feathers.

The topic of discussion slow moved to Laurel's family— the Chaveses.

Fleur explained what Mariana said as well, that one of the Chaveses would bring about the destruction of the entire flock. So far, it's happened with all the past realities.

The blonde was almost sure that the perpetrator, in the past realities, deduced Laurel as the Golden One, considering that Lia was never born yet when the Argenti case occurred.

"I'm not sure," Hermione added, chewing on her lip. "But that might also explain why the Caller of Argenti or whoever we're dealing with is delaying the process of getting people from other realities. They can't reach the maximum amount of people yet because they aren't sure of who the Golden One is."

She turned to Fleur. "And I'm guessing that based on what you explained to me, that Golden One is needed to continue the process of eradicating the veela... if ever that really is their original intent."

Fleur rose a brow, blinking. "What do you mean? Isn't that probably their purpose for all of this? It's always what happened in the previous realities — the disappearance of the entire flock save for the true mates, I mean."

Hermione remained pensive, her eyes firmly fixed on Lia who raised a brow.

"Fleur, I have a hunch, but... considering that they intended to get Lia, the true Golden One, would there be a difference in effect? Why on earth would there be a need to distinguish between the two of them?"

"So," Fleur said, sighing as she rubbed her forehead. "Their goal might not be to eradicate the veela? Is that why they're traveling back in time? To wrong their mistakes?"

"But Maman, why do they keep making the same mistake over and over again then?"

"And," Hermione added. "Harry said that the third magical signature— if it really is the perpetrator or someone related to them— seems fragmented, as if they didn't fully materialize enough to become an individual. A fragmented consciousness of a veela, plus sort of vanishing... why? Is it because something went wrong with the time travel? But from what Fleur said it was just us who were in the circle, plus Lia whose veela hadn't awoken yet. Thus, it couldn't be her."

Hermione pursed her lips, having a dreadful thought.

"What is it, Hermione?"

Hermione shook her head. "No, no. That can't be. I just had a wild theory."

"Any theory is fine at this point."

"What if," Hermione began, furrowing her brows. "What if the reason why all this time, why somebody's always been close to one step ahead of us, no matter how many time leaps we did, is because we brought them along with us every time we left?"

"And how would they do that, Hermione," Fleur went closer. "Especially when nobody's ever with us when we leap? Only our consciousness ever transfers, plus the Time-Turner of course."

Hermione turned to Fleur, eyes flitting to the glinting chain of the Time-Turner at her chest.

"Do you always wear the Time-Turner around your neck? Without fail?"

Fleur rose a brow.

"In the past realities, we didn't really wear it all the time, but you were always the one who kept it generally. But in this reality, yes, I can't leave it out of my sight for even a second. If I'm not wearing it around my neck, I have it with me all the time."

Hermione took a second to close her eyes, chewing on her lip. She spoke firmly.

"Fleur, give me the Time-Turner."

"What?"

"Give it."

Fleur hesitated, then slowly pulled out a long chain from underneath her shirt. She handed the silver Time Turner, watching closely as Hermione held it up for the group to see.

"What if... what if this is a container of memories of some sort, Fleur?"

The group widened their eyes to the fullest, watching Hermione feel the Time-Turner in her hands, feeling for any sort of magic.

"A Horcrux of some sort— or at least something like it. Actually, more of a container where the veela's consciousness is split into parts," she repeated. "Think about it. I always thought it was mighty convenient for the Time-Turner to come with us when we leapt through realities, Fleur. Even if we powered it with our magic, the Time-Turner's still technically just a channeling instrument with our magic. Why on earth would it travel back in time with us, especially considering that we're not physically transported? Unless it itself had a veela's fragment with it?"

The group remained silent, with Fleur's eyes widening in horror as she looked at the item in a new light.

"Plus, what if the reason why Harry can't detect it fully is because you always wore it around your neck, so your fully-powerful veela is masking its fragmented state? Plus, it's locked in this object, further weakening its visibility."

Fleur reached out, silently asking for the Time-Turner. Hermione gave it and watched as Fleur felt the item in her hands. She soon took out her wand and began to do a few intricate motions, concentrating on the mass of magic emanating from the Time-Turner. It soon began to glow silver.

"But Hermione, shouldn't we have felt any sort of hatred or have been affected negatively by these, at least with the perpetrator who's probably—"

Fleur couldn't finish her sentence, suddenly closing her eyes tightly as she felt tears spring forth forcefully. Hermione held her upright as Fleur slightly convulsed, screaming as a flood of memories coursed through her.

.

.

.

.

_Your hand holding up the Time-Turner, then returning it to the Elder's House._

_The veela flock around Urlea Lake, watching the sunset. You feel a warm smile._

_Watching as one by one, the veela disappeared. Your heart aches for your family. But it must be done._

_Crying alone, watching as the sun rose over a barren Urlea lake, dried up and empty._

_Escaping and hiding, telling yourself you only did what was right._

_Screaming in frustration as the silver pair, Fleur and Hermione, went back.... again and again._

_A burst of determination for the new race._

.

.

.

.

Fleur opened her eyes once more to a terrified Hermione, the blonde's arms held down firmly. Hermione quickly checked Fleur's shocked eyes, still with unshed tears as the latter let out a very shaky exhale.

"Fleur, are you alright? I shouldn't have allowed you to do that!"

She felt Hermione hold her face gently, patiently waiting as she stroked her cheeks. Fleur took a moment to compose herself, focusing on Hermione's concerned eyes as she felt beads of sweat forming on the sides of her face. She could see the two teenagers worriedly watching from the periphery.

"Me—merde. You were right, 'Ermione. It was right here.... all this time."

"I felt their emotions, their memories. But... but I felt no hatred. Only sadness and pain. And light, pure light that I can't explain. And love— a twisted love but love nonetheless."

She quickly explained the flash of memories she saw, immediately sealing the Time-Turner with a few defenses as she went back to wearing it around her neck.

"You're not affected by the Time-Turner?" Hermione asked worriedly.

Fleur shook her head. "Non, I feel the same. It's likely because the individual we're dealing with isn't inherently evil. This Time-Turner doesn't feel like a dark object per se. Also, the memories don't feel fused in the Time-Turner. They're more of contained within it."

"Shouldn't we destroy it?" Hermione said cautiously, watching Fleur's reaction morph into one of worry and fear. She looked at the Time-Turner, then to Lia and Rose, then to Hermione. It seemed a million thoughts raced through her mind at that point — torn between the object she's used as a last resort in jumping through realities — and the family she so desperately wanted to protect.

 _This time, we have to make things right. We have no other choice_ , she thought.

"No more running," Fleur muttered, locking eyes with Hermione who warmly smiled. She felt her own lips tug up at their corners.

"Yes, we should break the Time-Turner after we fully extract all the possible clues from it."

The group turned silent, each one wrapped in their own thoughts. Lia continued to pace back and forth. Rose sat still in her seat, staring into the ground. Hermione chewed on her lip, her hair slightly electrified once more. And Fleur closed her eyes, concentrating.

After a few more moments, Lia spoke.

"Mum, Maman, don't you think... everything's so contradictory? I mean," Lia sighed deeply, holding her brow in frustration. "You have a time-traveling veela who has knowledge of the past realities but is allowing the veela race to be eradicated. With the number of times they've traveled back in time, shouldn't they already know who the Golden One is? Why even ask and cause the incident with the fiery message? It's as if a different person's causing the ruckus!"

"So sis you're suggesting," Rose interrupted. "...That there could be two parties?"

The group remained silent for another long while, Rose now completely blank. Fleur worriedly watched Hermione obviously stressing as the latter clenched a fist. Fleur grunted before standing up, exhaling deeply.

"Merde. I need a drink."

.

.

.

.

The four had agreed not to tell anybody aside from themselves and Victoire about the current arrangement, especially with someone still on the lookout for the Golden One... who was probably Lia.

They had also agreed not to tell the other children, specifically Hugo, Dominique, and Louis about the current set-up and the new family, especially with the perpetrator still on the loose. Having more than Rose and Lia constantly going up and down to the Room of Requirement and around the grounds would definitely cause more suspicion, especially with such a big group. Moreover, the pair of sisters now made sure to use more roundabout routes to the Room of Requirement as well as sometimes used the headmistress' own fireplace with special permission, just to vary their locations.

Initially, Hermione and Fleur wanted the teenagers to have close to no involvement in searching for clues concerning the Argenti case. However, after much discussion (and arguing from the two stubborn teenagers), the two women realized that even if they tried stopping Rose and Lia from searching, trouble would probably find them anyway, especially with the perpetrator being at Hogwarts.

Now, Hermione and Fleur sat beside each other at the couch, having just ended the firecall with Rose and Lia. The two haven't spoken a word since the call ended, the silence palpable as Hermione went to the living room, only leaving with a backward glance towards Fleur. Fleur nodded and finally allowed herself to be dragged to the couch.

Fleur summoned a bottle of alcohol from the kitchen, pouring herself a purplish drink as she sighed deeply. Hermione chuckled, watching Fleur finish her glass right away.

"You really needed that drink, huh?"

"Definitely, and I honestly want to drown myself in it," Fleur murmured, pulling her head back to the backrest of the couch and stretching her neck as she looked up to the ceiling.

"Give me that."

Fleur handed over her glass, watching Hermione pour herself a drink and finishing a glass as well. The blonde chuckled at the wince Hermione gave.

"What is this, Fleur? This is the strongest shit I've ever had in my entire life."

Fleur smirked, holding up the bottle towards the light, its contents slightly sparkling. "My own concoction. It's a mix of firewhiskey, vodka, and a whole lot of other things."

"I can't believe you can drink this without pulling a face."

Fleur smiled, taking the glass gently from Hermione and pouring herself another glass.

"The alcohol I mix up gets worse by the reality. It's useful with momentarily forgetting everything, even for a while."

Hermione hummed, unconsciously feeling for Fleur's hand. Their hands were together between them, and the brunette played with their hands unconsciously, liking the feel of their tangled fingers as she closed her eyes. She looked at the blonde on her left; Fleur bit her lip, chancing a glance at Hermione then immediately looking away when she caught the brunette fully staring back at her.

Hermione started removing her robe, Fleur's eyes immediately widening as the former joked.

"Do I have to take my clothes off again for you to look at me?"

Fleur snapped to look at a grinning Hermione who was now putting her opaque robe back on. Fleur relaxed slightly, looking down at their joined hands.

"At least now I know that if you ever ignore me again... I'll just have to strip down naked."

Fleur quickly looked up to find a mischievously grinning Hermione, her head resting on the wall behind her as the latter completely faced her. Fleur huffed in annoyance, although Hermione could find the ghost of a smile on her lips.

The blonde remained silent for a long while, with Hermione watching intently as the former stared into the open space before them.

"Did you really mean that? That you're choosing me?" Fleur hesitantly asked in the softest whisper. "Even if I've hurt you to no end?"

Hermione nodded, then slowly moved closer, leaning towards Fleur who sat straighter, exuding confidence, albeit a bit fake as she bit her inner cheek and struggled to keep her gaze on the brunette. She placed down her glass on the table, facing her body to Hermione as she placed her legs up the couch. The sweet smell of alcohol reached the brunette's nose.

"I meant it. Every word. Every sentence. Every sentiment," Hermione breathed out, staring intently at Fleur's eyes. She could feel Fleur's pulse quickening with the electrifying air. However, she was quite glad that this time, Fleur held her gaze.

Hermione brought their joined hands to her cheek, whispering.

"You know in times like this," she chuckled. "My veela's actually thrashing and telling me to stay away from you... But I won't. I can't."

Hermione bit her lip, bringing her knees up the couch. She slowly exhaled, aware of her heartbeat pounding erratically in her chest and in her ears. _Alcohol, goddamit._ She almost couldn't hear herself speak. Her words flowed out without a second thought.

"Because I'm in love with you, Fleur."

Fleur felt all the air sucked out of her lungs. She was rendered mute, as she couldn't utter a single word no matter how much she tried to form a sentence, a phrase, a word even.

 _Come on, say something_ , she heard her veela say. Her mind was slightly woozy from the kick of the alcohol, and she was still dumbly looking at Hermione as if in a trance.

Hermione furrowed a brow, exasperated. She gave a tired smile.

"You're _still_ not going to say anything?" She whispered sadly.

Fleur immediately shook her head, and without a second thought, approached Hermione.

She quickly brought her hand to Hermione's cheek, and before the other could even register what was happening, Fleur pressed her lips into Hermione's, gentle as if the brunette were fragile glass. She felt the brunette flinch in surprise, but slowly, she returned the kiss as she fluttered her eyes closed.

It was just a kiss, a simple kiss where their lips softly touched. But Hermione's never felt anything like it. It sent shivers down her spine, making her feel new yet familiar things. Excitement, need, happiness, arousal, and warmth all melding into one feeling and thought that was just _Fleur._

She wanted more.

Fleur was unsure and hesitant, as if she was still waiting for Hermione to change her mind— maybe push her away. But she didn't. Instead, she felt Hermione's tongue pry apart her lips and deepen the kiss. Fleur's mind went completely blank as she savoured the familiar taste of Hermione on her lips.

_Alcohol, coffee, a bit of honey and cinnamon..._

After a moment's hesitation, Hermione tangled her fingers in Fleur's hair, smiling against Fleur's lips as the latter pressed a bit further into her. Hermione shifted backward slightly as Fleur followed forward, the brunette placing an arm down on the couch to support herself as she leaned back. The robe she wore fell down her limbs, revealing her barely-clothed torso and her shoulders.

Fleur's eyes darkened, her eyes roaming Hermione's body hungrily, any sort of restraint completely gone. Hermione pulled Fleur closer, the blonde now slightly hovering over Hermione. She urged Fleur to kiss her harder, beckoning her closer as she pressed herself further to the other witch.

_She's finally looking at me.... I want her. I want more._

In a rush of confidence, Fleur's tongue parted Hermione's lips, exploring her mouth as the brunette moaned into the kiss. _Gods, how long has it been?_ Fleur thought, her mind hazy in lust and adoration and love. Realizing their position, with Fleur almost completely ontop of a flushed Hermione, close to naked below her, she stilled, parting momentarily before pressing her forehead against the other's.

Their pants filled the room as the lazy rays of the afternoon poured in on their flustered bodies. Fleur hummed.

"Are you still alright?" She whispered, stroking Hermione's cheek as the latter shakily exhaled.

Her veela was purring from within her, pushing her to keep going. Hermione locked eyes with Fleur with a fiery intensity and determination, seeming to have similar thoughts.

"Don't stop," she said breathlessly, kissing Fleur again— with more fervor and passion as they struggled for dominance, tongues pushing and pulling and wrapping as moans filled the room. Fleur's breath hitched when she realized their position; she was fully above Hermione.

"'Ermione—"

"Please—" the brunette breathed out, tugging Fleur's closer as they met again for a kiss. However, Fleur made sure to kiss softer and more tenderly. She slowly broke the kiss, giving Hermione's forehead a quick peck.

Fleur stopped for a moment to take a look at Hermione, completely flustered and her gaze wavering. She placed her hand on the other's cheek, her other elbow supporting her weight.

"You're in pain."

"I'm not."

Fleur chuckled, kissing Hermione softly once more, the kiss lasting for Merlin knew how long. When they parted, the two hummed in satisfaction.

"Alright, fine," Hermione whispered. "But it's nothing I can't handle."

Fleur smirked, half laying down beside Hermione as she took Hermione's hands, untangling the latter's fingers from her own hair. She brought one to her mouth, kissing it softly.

Hermione watched dumbly, a blush rising again on her cheeks.

"I love you, and don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed that," Fleur teased, with Hermione biting back a grin at how nonchalant and easy Fleur's words were. The blonde slowly pulled Hermione up, closing the latter's robe firmly and fixing the brunette's hair.

 _I've forgotten how easy it was for Hermione's hair to become so unruly._ She chuckled to herself, earning a raised brow from Hermione. Fleur shook her head.

"But let's not get too carried away, oui? I don't want to make you hurt too much."

She warmly smiled at Hermione's slight pout, the latter rolling her eyes in annoyance.

"Plus," Fleur said with finality, sighing. "We still have a case to solve."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope I can write the next chapter soon because my work's piling up again. Dammit college orgs xD 
> 
> Would appreciate hearing your theories at this point and sorry if everything's so convoluted and complicated WAH
> 
> Have a great day!


	30. Weapons of Choice (Part 2)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> what the heck how did this reach 400 kudos,,, like for real my writing's so ..... LMAO but anyways thanks guys! xD

It was the next day.

Lia and Rose hurriedly went down the stairs to meet up with Laurel and Wendy. They had just come from searching Gryffindor Tower for more clues with no luck in uncovering anything.

On the way down, Lia looked on either side of the pair, ensuring nobody was within earshot of their hushed conversation. She turned to a slightly panicked Rose as they sped down the stairs.

"What's bothering you, sis?"

"Nothing important, really. Let's just move faster before Wendy gets mad again. I haven't spent much time with anyone aside from you... and I think she's getting jealous."

"Jealous? Impossible."

The family had assigned themselves to uncover certain mysteries. Rose and Lia were assigned to finding out as much as they could about the perpetrator, confuse them with who exactly was the Golden One between Laurel and Lia, and protecting Laurel.

Lia had explicitly been showing parts of her veela traits along with Laurel, to further confuse the perpetrator with who the Golden One really was. When Laurel showed certain veela traits, like aggression and inhuman speed in the Great Hall, Lia made sure to show the same amount of power right away, maybe running from end-to-end nonchalantly with a book in hand, showing an obvious smirk.

This however would usually backfire as a crowd of girls and boys would chase her through the halls, her smirk immediately falling as she struggled to read a full chapter as she ran at top-speed.

Meanwhile, they had informally assigned Wendy (without her proper knowledge) to watch over Laurel whenever she could (and when Rose and Lia were busy), much to her blatant displeasure.

"I swear, the things I do for you two," she would mutter under her breath. "I'm not a babysitter!"

She had no other complaints though, as she usually just dragged Laurel around with food and even made sure to chat about Quidditch, Laurel's eyes immediately lighting up with the topic. Rose and Lia rolled their eyes, watching the Slytherin chase after the Gryffindor veela who stole a pack of her chocolates. Wendy was quite obviously enjoying her time with Laurel.

While Rose and Lia worked their way through their days at Hogwarts, Hermione and Fleur were in charge of investigating the Time-Turner further for clues and memories. Once they finished this, they were to destroy the Time-Turner.

Hermione was also to investigate Urlea Lake on a regular basis, after finding various drawings of a lake in the veela tale. This was after Urlea Lake repeatedly appeared in the tale and the memories contained in the Time Turner. She would watch it at different times, note any subtle changes in magic, and examine the water's burning properties.

Meanwhile, Fleur, along with Apolline and Victoire, would investigate for any other leads with regards to the search for the missing pages of the family's tale as well as who could possibly have ripped them out.

The group knew that they were probably missing a lot of points, but these would be a good and organized start to finding a way to solve the case.

Wendy rolled her eyes, bringing with her a large bag full of sweets, as the two approached her. They had obviously been snooping around again, judging from the way they were discussing and the sweat that trickled down their brows. Wendy threw a few hard chocolates at a lurking Kento Mamura and Vanessa Bell while Louis and Lily tripped a few other watching students who were openly ogling at Lia.

Laurel smiled widely as she caught the two sisters in a giant embrace, leading them quickly to the grounds, a folded blanket in one arm, as Wendy followed closely behind.

* * *

Hugo and Rose sat on a bench by the lake, with Hugo munching on a sandwich. Rose left her group of friends who sat on the grass from far-away, with Wendy and Laurel munching on a bag of candies and chocolates while Lia sat silently, reading a book and enjoying the silence.

Rose spotted Hugo eating with a group of friends from afar, obviously bothered. Frowning, she asked Hugo if they could talk, and here they were.

"Sorry for taking you from your friends. I just wanted a quick chat."

"Yeah, it's fine," he said grumpily, kicking a stone from beneath his foot.

The two remained in silence for a while, the chatter of students steadily increasing in volume, serving as a sort of background noise. Rose chanced a glance at the bothered Hugo who crossed his arms, huffing and muttering complaints under his breath.

"I'm sorry I haven't exactly spent much time with you. The school year coming on alright so far?"

Hugo narrowed his eyes, beginning a sarcastic rant.

"Great, actually. So great with the Argenti case still ongoing and increasing. Definitely not worried that Mum's working on it, and I don't know what on earth is going on with her. She's been so very cryptic with her latest letters!"

He continued, ignoring Rose's almost immediate attempt at interrupting.

"Plus, I don't know, I got scared out of my head with the incident at the Gryffindor common room! Then the explosion at the girls' dormitories! Bloody hell, you and Laurel were there, too! Imagine if you guys didn't leave right away!"

He shook his head, furrowing his brows.

"And come on, sis. I know you're hiding something. You've been running around and disappearing most of the time with either Lia or Wendy. I'm pretty sure you've just been snogging Wendy, but I don't get why you spend so much time with Lia. One day you're rivals and another, you're the bestest of friends— even more than Laurel! Even more than me— Your own brother!"

Hugo huffed, catching his breath as he frowned. Rose sighed, bringing her brother close to her in a tight embrace. She took a moment to consider her words, worriedly looking at Hugo's confused eyes.

"I'm sorry, Hugo. Really I am," she said, fixing Hugo's messy tie. She grimaced. "You'll understand when everything's over why we have to keep certain things from you. We'll tell you everything in due time..."

 _For your own sake,_ she thought. _The fewer people who know, the better... and the safer._

"I highly doubt that, Rose. I don't know anything that goes around."

"I swear that if I could tell you, I would. But I really can't."

"You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"I'm not."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

He hummed in response, taking the last bite of his sandwich and crumpling the paper bag in his hands.

"And I promise that life will be much more fun and less dreary _when_ we tell you everything. We're not keeping this a secret forever."

Hugo considered this, leaning back on the bench as he watched from afar Laurel and Wendy try hiding an extremely annoyed Lia from an onslaught of suitors, including a lovestruck Kento being held back by a strong Louis. Rose chuckled at the scene.

"When you say 'we,' you're referring to you and Mum, right? Because why do I have this feeling that you're talking about other people, too?"

"Oh hush, it's still part of the secret."

Hugo sighed, scratching his head. Glancing at his sister, he relaxed his shoulders.

"Fine, you win."

"As expected, I always do," she joked. In the corner of her eye she watched Wendy try pulling Laurel along with her so as to safeguard Lia, who was behind them, from prying eyes. But instead, the group fell backward, the wind knocked out of Lia as Wendy and Laurel fell on top of her. She pushed them off with ease, quickly scolding and glaring at them, not caring about the larger crowd they attracted. Rose smiled.

"But I promise, it's really for your own good."

"Fine."

Hugo sighed, slightly leaning on a hand as he rubbed his cheek in frustration. He sported a slightly mischievous smile, turning to his sister.

"Always the winner, huh?" He asked aloud, scrunching his nose. He gave a joking and mocking thumbs down to which Rose rolled her eyes. "If I don't win, at least I know someone who will have to. Lia's gonna beat you in every class when we resume. I'm actually rooting for her."

"I hate to admit it," Rose replied, rolling her shoulders and leaning back on the bench. "But I honestly think you're right. There are much more important things than winning."

Hugo feigned shock, looking at his sister as if she were a different person. Rose rolled her eyes.

"Who are you and what have you done with my sister?"

Rose laughed. "Nothing. Just had to grow up."

She stood up, patting down her robes as she felt the soft breeze on her face. Lia was now back to sitting upright, albeit a bit frazzled as she blew a bit of her messed up hair to the side as she struggled to read her book. Wendy and Laurel argued on the side, a Chocolate Frog in between them.

"Ah, speaking of growing up," Hugo wondered. "You still have to teach me the spell to defend myself. I'm already old enough."

"Yeah, sure. We can do it this weekend if you'd like. Oh, and even if I teach you the spells, you still have to call me with the locket when bullies bother you, alright? I'm glad you used it with the common room incident, but come on, make sure you use it for its original purpose, too."

She shook her head, about to walk away when Hugo interrupted in a questioning tone.

"What are you talking about, sis?"

Rose turned around.

"You know, you called me with the locket, right?"

"When?"

"The common room incident?"

"What? I never did!"

Rose frowned, walking back to her brother and sitting down once more.

_What?_

"Yes, you did," she said simply. "I felt my locket warm when Laurel and I heard the commotion downstairs."

"What?! I really didn't, Rose!"

The two Weasleys sat stunned.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Rose. A hundred percent sure that I didn't use the locket. I didn't call you."

Rose looked at her brother in shock, turning slightly to face the open area as her mind fluttered elsewhere.

Rose's thoughts immediately went to Fleur's theories, which they had discussed just moments ago in the Room of Requirement— that one or two objects probably cast the spells that caused the fiery message in the Gryffindor common room and the explosion in the girls' dormitory.

 _One at the Gryffindor common room,_ she thought, pointing at Hugo.

 _One at the girls' dormitories._ She pointed at herself.

Her eyes widened. She took out her own locket and examined it, gulping.

"Give me that. Right now."

"What?! Alright, alright, here."

Rose immediately stood up, looking at the two lockets in hand.

"Hugo, did your locket ever warm during that time, or no?"

"Never, no. I didn't feel anything. Now, what is it—"

He was cut off by Rose immediately shouting and waving towards her far-off group of friends, not caring about the masses of students looking at her from far away.

"Lia! We've got that meeting with the headmistress, right?! We're late!" She howled from across the area, immediately catching the attention of the group. Lia rose a brow but stood with urgency seeing her sister's serious face.

After a few moments, Lia caught up with Rose who was already walking in the direction of the headmistress's office. Slinging her bag, she tucked away the book in her hand.

"What is it? Found something?"

"They've been tampered with."

The veela quirked her brow, pulling her sister faster as she spotted a few Gryffindor admirers following them.

" _What_ have been tampered with?"

"It's the lockets. The lockets caused the fire and explosion."

* * *

Rose and Lia sat in Minerva's office, Lia looking slightly confused as a determined Rose looked at the headmistress. Minerva sat at her desk, holding up the pair of lockets by their chains.

"Miss Weasley, you said that these 2 lockets are charmed?"

Rose nodded. "Yes, headmistress. I charmed them with a unique spell of my own so that when Hugo or I wanted to call the other or were in an emergency, we'd just use these so its partner locket would heat up as well."

Minerva hummed, smiling bitterly as she opened both to find a picture of the Weasley family in each. It was probably taken a few years ago, probably when they were on vacation. The family waved at the camera and laughed.

"A spell of your own? Not the usual heating charm?"

Rose nodded as Minerva smiled.

"That is a very smart spell, Miss Weasley. Sounds like quite the familiar one, too."

"Yes," Rose replied, slightly sheepish at being caught. "I was inspired by Mum's story with using a warming charm for coins to call Dumbledore's Army. Thought that the paired lockets would help with Hugo's bullying incidents."

Minerva nodded, waving her wand as intricate wisps surrounded the lockets. Soon, the items started glowing erratically. Minerva's eyes widened, and with a quick flick of her wand, she enclosed the lockets in a small protective barrier, the two teens jolting in surprise as the lockets emitted an explosion within the translucent barrier.

Once the smoke cleared, the two lockets emitted a faint orange glow. Minerva undid the barrier and reached in slightly as she felt the warmth emanating from the two lockets. Minerva nodded, casting a few more checking spells. After this, the headmistress stilled in thought.

"Yes, indeed these two lockets have caused the explosion and message, and with such a powerful spell, too. I'm quite curious, Miss Weasley. How did you conclude that these lockets were most likely tampered with?"

Rose sat straighter as Lia and Minerva watched her intently.

"Hugo, wearing his locket, was at the common room when the fiery message appeared. At the same time, I was at the girls' dormitory with Laurel, also wearing my locket.

"Laurel and I heard the commotion coming from the Gryffindor common room due to the fiery message. Moments later, my locket warmed. I had thought Hugo was calling me using the locket."

"When I reached the door of the girls' dormitory, the explosion at the dormitory occurred. But I didn't really care at that point. I just knew I had to get to Hugo. He only ever called me when it was something important; honestly, he's so stubborn, not using the locket even when he's about to be beaten up."

Rose shook her head and sighed.

"I was mistaken. He told me just moments ago that he never called me. So I stopped to think why on earth would my locket would heat up if nobody called one another. I asked myself why they would malfunction. They were perfectly fine before, headmistress... That's when it hit me."

"Somebody had purposely tampered with the lockets."

Minerva nodded, furrowing her brows as she tilted her head. She looked to Lia, the pair seeming to have the same questioning thoughts. Minerva smiled.

"Lia, you have a few questions, don't you?"

Lia blinked then nodded quickly. She turned to her sister.

"Rose, I'm just thinking, but why would the lockets not act at the same time? Why would they delay yours?" She tapped her foot as she tilted her head

. "Also, why would the perpetrator purposely make your locket warm up as if Hugo were calling you? That would take a lot more unnecessary effort on their part."

Lia stood up, pacing from her seat to the other side of the room as she continued pondering aloud. She turned to Minerva who raised a brow.

"Also, Mum, would it be possible to check if both lockets were tampered with directly? I was thinking that due to the unique spell Rose used, the magic that binds the two lockets might enable both lockets to be affected even if only one was directly tampered with."

Minerva nodded, intricately waving her wand as the lockets glowed once more. Slowly, the two faded in their glow for a few moments. The group widened their eyes as suddenly, only one locket continued brightly glowing erratically, Minerva immediately putting up another barrier as a precaution.

Lia stilled, turning to Rose. "Who—whose locket is that, sis?"

Rose shook in fear, gulping.

"Mine."

* * *

Lia and Rose exited the headmistress' office, both silent as they walked, only the clacking of their shoes reverberating through the halls. They had left the lockets with Minerva who would investigate them further with representatives from the Ministry and other professors.

Rose had her head on Lia's shoulder as Lia wrapped an arm around her sister. The distant sounds of students laughing seemed so far away now, so disconnected from the fearful quiet bubble the sisters had.

Lia clenched her jaw, rubbing circles in her sister's back as Rose continued walking shakily.

The Slytherin's eyes widened, feeling her shoulder become wet and hearing a sniffling sound. She slowly led her sister to a nearby bench, patting the seat beside her. Rose ignored her, remaining standing and facing her sister with slightly tearful eyes, her head down.

"Everything too much for you?" Lia whispered.

"I'm so scared, Lia," Rose replied shakily, deeply sighing.

Lia shook her head, smiling bitterly as she raised her arms in front of her, beckoning Rose.

"Come here."

Rose didn't need to be told twice, embracing her sister as she sobbed quietly into her shoulder. Lia rubbed circles into Rose's back and ruffled her red hair.

"It's like everything came crashing down just now, Lia." Rose croaked out, lacking her usual spur of confidence. "It feels ten times as terrifying when you personally become involved and targeted. I sound horrible." Rose whispered, ashamed and afraid.

Lia pulled back, looking at her sister's face intently as she wiped a bit of tears off of Rose's cheeks.

"Don't you dare say that. You aren't horrible, and it's perfectly normal to feel that way."

She pinched Rose's cheeks, softly at first, then stretched them wide as she chuckled. Rose rolled her eyes.

"You look like a marshmallow now. A crying ugly marshmallow with red hair."

Rose smiled, putting her hands up to stretch Lia's cheeks even wider as the Gryffindor laughed at Lia's widened eyes.

"Who's the marshmallow now? Black hair, too, so you look more like a burnt smore," she said mockingly.

Rose stretched her sister's cheeks further, with Lia grunting as she struggled to get out of her sister's reach. Their laughs reverberated through the halls, masking the distant sounds of chatter and footsteps in the faraway corridors.

"Rose, not so hard! My admirers will get surprised when I suddenly have oversized cheeks! A veela's a bird— not a chipmunk!"

"Idiot, you'll look so adorable!" Rose asked mischievously, pulling even more as Lia's face stretched extensively. Lia squirmed as she wrinkled her nose; Rose wouldn't let go of her blasted cheeks. "You're going to attract so many more boys with a chipmunk face!"

"Rose, argh! Get off me! I want more girls than boys anyway!"

"Want girls? Did you see the way Vanessa Bell looked at you like you were meat?!"

After a few pushes and playful shoves, Rose burst into a fit of laughter as she sat down beside Lia, smiling gratefully as she watched the Slytherin wipe her cheeks while pouting. A comfortable silence settled as the redhead leaned once more on Lia's shoulder. She felt soft pats on her head as she hummed.

"Thanks for that."

"What are you talking about?" Lia asked sarcastically, hiding a smile as she ruffled her sister's hair. They remained silent for a few comfortable seconds, only with Rose's humming filling the air. Then Lia spoke, seeming to find the right words.

"You're brave, sis— one of the bravest people I know. Don't think so lowly of yourself," she whispered, her tone reassuring. "And I'm right here. I am your older sister after all."

Rose snickered. "All this time, I've been used to the idea that I'm the eldest. Now I have someone bossing me around now?"

"Well technically, you'll have Victoire and Dominique once Mum and Maman get over themselves," Lia replied, scrunching her nose in disgust at a though. "Which by the way, I think is well on its way considering what we saw the other time."

Rose facepalmed, looking like she was about to vomit. "Ugh, now I can't get that image out of my head. Disgusting."

"Same."

They remained like that for a few moments until Lia took Rose's hand and held it firmly.

"Mum and Maman are going to protect you. And _I'm_ going to protect you, Rose. I promise."

"You know I'm supposed to be the one reassuring you, Lia," she whispered back, closing her eyes as she tucked her head further in Lia's shoulder. "Idiot, you're the real Gryffindor."

They heard 2 pairs of rushed footsteps increasing in volume at the nearby corridor. Then a sudden skid. The two looked up to a set of hard measured steps.

"Get away from her, Evernight."

A half-annoyed half-angry Wendy immediately pulled Rose away from Lia. The sisters looked at one another, eyes widened, then at Wendy. Wendy met Lia's eyes with a hard gaze. Laurel stood on the side, a bag of chips in hand, seemingly entertained as her head moved back and forth between Lia and Wendy.

"I get that you two are already close. But can't you two keep it down a notch?" She close to exclaimed, her face slightly red as her arms protectively wrapped around Rose. Her voice came out in a burst, then she softened it shyly, looking around the corridors for any other students. "Lia, you're my best friend. But you're making me think you like Rose and that you have ulterior motives with her!"

Rose and Lia looked at each other in confusion and amusement, with the former giving a quick 'I-told-you-so' face. Wendy watched in annoyance. After a few moments, Rose snorted loudly then covered her mouth in surprise. Another glance between the sisters as they shook in amusement. Then they exploded into a fit of raucous laughter. Rose fell to a crouch as she held her stomach while Lia fell off her seat.

Leaning on a nearby wall, Laurel sighed. The glutton walked forward, unamused and bored, and threw a few chips at the sisters, sprinkling them in crumbs and eventually dragging the empty bag completely over Rose's head. Rose flailed and her voice was muffled by the bag surrounding her face.

"Laurel what the fuck!?"

Rose quickly took the bag off her head, swatting away the endless crumbs on her face. Laurel rolled her eyes.

"You both are boring! I thought I'd finally get the drama I wanted! Merlin, do you know how many days I've had to listen to Wendy rant about lacking time with you, Rose?"

Rose blinked as the words sank in, looking to Wendy who sheepishly looked away. Lia was now up and approaching the pair, hands up in defense in case of another outburst.

"Wendy," Lia began carefully, keeping her eyes soft at her friend who was still slightly rattled. "I promise I'm not doing anything of the sort, alright?"

She walked closer, ignoring how Wendy averted her gaze and chose to focus on the fallen bag of chips on the floor. Lia continued.

"And you're my dearest friend. I would never take Rose away from you. You... accepted me for the way I am even if close to everyone avoided me before my veela awoke."

Wendy lowered her head, slowly looking back at Lia as the latter pressed on.

"I had no friends, keeping to myself and my books. Of course, nobody hated me, but nobody was a person I could truly call a friend either. Everyone just wanted me to help them with their homework or help write their essays. So I stayed away from everyone. No wonder people said I was a loner, stuck in my head as a quiet know-it-all who probably looked down on everybody."

The part-veela shook her head. "I remember there was a time when I got heavily injured after stupidly attempting to do a trick while flying. When I ended up at the Hospital Wing, I watched other students visited by their friends, joking and laughing."

"I stayed there for 3 days, Wendy. And not a single student came to visit me."

Wendy's shoulders relaxed, her hold on Rose slightly falling.

Lia shrugged. "The truth was that I felt so alone like I didn't belong anywhere. Nevertheless, I had already accepted the fact that I was going to graduate friendless by our third year."

She pursed her lips, then spoke softly as she looked Wendy in the eye.

"I never told you this, but do you remember the first time you came up and talked to me? It was after I helped you clean up the mess you made in potions. Your blonde hair was in a frizz and was slightly burnt at the ends; your face was utterly shocked after your cauldron exploded in your face. You incessantly thanked me after I taught you how to make the potion for the next time."

"Do you remember the day after, Wendy? You sat with me at the library for the first time last year, and I was surprised. What on earth would Wendy Griffiths want to do with me? When we started talking about spells and books, I was so unsure and hesitant— I thought you just pitied me, or maybe you sat with me because of some sort of a dare from Albus and Scorpius, or maybe you even made a bet with the other students. Or maybe you just wanted to make up for the potion incident. Anyway, I had my guards up; I didn't want to get hurt after all."

Lia looked into Wendy's eyes, biting her lip.

"The day after, I was shocked that you approached me again, and we chatted amicably about everything under the sun. It was the first time I didn't finish a book. The first time I was smiling so widely when I went out the library. The librarian had to take a second look at me because of how happy I looked. Do you remember that? I have to admit, but I close to remember every word of what we talked about. That's how much I treasured the time I spent with you."

The part-veela put her hand on her friend's shoulder, the latter looking guiltily at Lia as she sighed.

"I thought you would leave after that, that I'd be alone again after a few days. But you didn't leave, Wendy. In fact, we kept talking and talking even during the summer break. The headmistress— Mum— was pleasantly surprised to find that I kept running back and forth to the Owlery, that I had found a friend in you. While I talked about the books I read, you kept talking about your secret crush on Rose (Rose slightly flushed at this). Days and weeks and months didn't feel that long with you."

"I felt bad about keeping everything a secret, with my veela heritage and my stay at Hogwarts, but I was already planning to tell you somewhere this year when I had the courage. That's how much I treasured our friendship. Any day with you became part of my happiest days."

"You were and are such a great surprise—one of the best plot twists in my life, Wendy. I swear, you really are my best friend, Griffiths."

Wendy chuckled, shaking her head as she took in a deep breath.

"I was your _only_ friend, Lia."

"Yeah, fine. _Only_ friend," Lia shrugged. "But that doesn't change the fact that you're still my best friend. And you're not my only friend anymore now..." she said, trailing off as she looked to Laurel and Rose.

"I have Laurel. Plus, Rose of course. Who, by the way, I'm never going to date. Like... ever. Ugh, that is fucking disgusting, Wendy. I swear have you seen how she cries? Snot goes down her nose, and it's not pretty."

Rose quickly punched Lia's shoulder, but the latter was too fast, avoiding it at the last second. "Plus," Lia explained, not keeping her eyes off of Wendy who watched the exchange curiously. "I would never do anything to hurt you. You mean too much to me, Wendy."

Wendy considered this, furrowing her brows. After a moment, she shook her head once more, forcing a smile. She clasped her hands together, heaving a sigh of relief.

"Sorry," she said. Not knowing what to say, she closed her mouth again then winced. "I'm sorry... It must be the hormones. I didn't think I would get so angry. I think I was just jealous that the two of you've been spending so much time together."

Rose quickly spun Wendy around to face her. The Slytherin looked at her confusedly as she raised a brow.

"What is—"

Rose interrupted her, quickly sealing Wendy's lips with her own and quickly probing to deepen the kiss as the Slytherin stood dumbly shocked. Lia and Laurel groaned, turning around as Lia collected her bag from the bench and Laurel struggled to clean the mess she made. Wendy blinked twice, her face immediately heating up once more to the color of Rose's hair as she felt Rose's tongue explore her mouth. They pressed further into each other, with Rose wrapping her arms around Wendy's neck as she smiled into the kiss. Wendy smiled in response, kissing back as she felt all sense of insecurity wash away.

After a few moments, the two broke the kiss, their breaths heavy as they ignored the two part-veelas waiting impatiently, sporting equally disgusted faces. Wendy stammered.

"You—you. I—"

Rose merely smiled, pecking Wendy's lips once more, effectively silencing the blonde. The Gryffindor pulled the other down the hall, locking their arms together as the two part-veelas followed far behind.

Lia watched Rose and Wendy walk with their hands intertwined. She smiled in contentment.

"Lia, what did you talk about with your Mum?" Laurel asked, taking out a few candies from within her robes. She tossed one to Lia, which the other caught with ease. The sound of plastic unwrapping filled the halls.

"Nothing much," Lia remarked, fixing her hair as she ate the candy. _I have to be careful not to slip up with which Mum people are talking about, ugh,_ she thought.

"I know it isn't 'nothing much,'" she said, putting air quotations up for effect. "Did you see Rose's expression earlier? She realized something, I'm sure of it. Come on, tell me." She put an elbow on the other's shoulder as they walked. Lia slumped slightly with the added weight, huffing as she played with the candy on her tongue.

_Hmm, fruity mango. Really sweet._

"Lia, especially if it's about the incident at the Gryffindor common room."

Lia hesitated, stopping for a bit as Laurel walked in front of her, blocking the former's view of Rose and Wendy.

"Come on, I know I'm involved. And I know you two know something. The Golden One in the message— what if it's me, Lia?"

Laurel wore a worried expression, putting up a half-smile as she patiently waited for Lia to respond. She stood with her hands in her robe's pockets, tapping her foot in a lazy manner.

Lia sighed, considering her words for a moment as she walked past Laurel and tugged the other by the arm. She looked around as they entered another hallway, looking at Laurel, then dropped her voice to a whisper.

"It was Rose's and Hugo's lockets. Someone's tampered with them. But the professors and aurors are already going to do something about it. Don't—" she gave Laurel a sharp gaze as the latter widened her eyes in surprise. "Don't do anything, alright?"

"But Rose—"

"Don't do anything stupid," Lia repeated sternly. "Focus on yourself. Have you been doing the exercises I've been telling you to do?"

Laurel scratched her head.

"Yeah, yeah. I've been jogging and drinking all the potions you've been giving me. I've also been conversing with my veela. I have to admit," she said, turning excitedly to Lia. "I do feel significantly stronger and faster."

Lia nodded. "That's great. I'm happy for you."

They turned a corner, the pair watching Rose unwrap a bit of her Gryffindor scarf to surround both herself and Wendy. Wendy's ears were red once more as Rose tightened the scarf around them.

"Those idiots are on Cloud 9," Laurel remarked, sighing.

"Sure they are. But back to your veela, Laurel," Lia continued, feeling a bit of Laurel's veela stir and hum from within her mind. "Your veela isn't bothering you?"

Laurel shook her head in response, taking out another candy to unwrap and eat.

"We still don't get along as much," she replied, popping the candy into her mouth. "But we'll get there. She's been cooperating much more now that we've had heart-to-heart talks."

"Alright, good." Lia hesitated. "Tell me if something's off, not just with your veela but with any people who approach you, or even if you have a bad feeling — no matter how minuscule your suspicions might be, okay? Just tell me anything and everything."

Laurel remained silent, only the sounds of Rose and Wendy's whispers heard from a set of steps in front of them. She heaved a sigh.

"I hate being useless, and I know you and Rose know so much about what's happening... but I trust you, Lia." She turned to the curious Slytherin, smiling bitterly. "Can you just do two favors for me?"

"Sure."

"Protect Rose."

"Consider it done. What's the other?"

Laurel pocketed her last candy wrapper.

"I want 3 chicken legs for when I overtake your spar wins. You're going down."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> work's really piling up now so i'll update whenever i can ugh xD i'm really hoping i get the subjects i need for the next semester because so far i've only gotten.... 1 subject out of 6... dammit WHY IS LIFE LIKE THIS XD time to beg professors i guess
> 
> hope you like the chapter and have a great day/evening as always! <33


	31. Shadows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morning and breakfast fluff, veela discussions, mother-daughter discussions, friend time, and a big reveal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gah, this chapter was kind of hard to write but hope you like it.

Fleur awoke to the rays of the sun pouring into the room, warmth seeping into her cheeks as her eyes fluttered. She was about to hold her hand up to her eyes in an attempt to cover them, but was stopped by the sound of a few murmurs beside her, her arm tugged back down and held firmly in place. The blonde opened her bleary eyes and turned her head. Caught off guard, her brows rose at the sight beside her.

Hermione lay next to her, hugging Fleur's arm possessively to her chest. The brunette, her bushy hair in soft messy wisps covering her face and flowing down in cascades, wore a white nightgown borrowed from Fleur's closet. The covers were slightly off of Hermione's body as she shook slightly, her brows furrowed and her forehead with beads of sweat.

Fleur wiped away the sweat on the brunette's forehead as Hermione sharply turned her head twice.

"No... Fleur...." she muttered, tightly grasping Fleur's hand as she heaved deep breaths. Fleur frowned, sighing as she rubbed circles on Hermione's hand. She went closer, about to whisper reassuringly in the latter's ear as Hermione's breathing slowed.

Suddenly, Hermione woke with a jolt, bumping into Fleur who held her head in slight pain. The blonde quickly shook this off and spoke.

"So—sorry, mon coeur. I didn't think you would wake that violently. Are you alright?"

Hermione oriented herself and slowly sat up, her free hand clutching her head in pain.

"Yes, I'm alright," she replied, looking to Fleur. Her lungs stopped momentarily as she caught her breath. She didn't know what exactly caught her eye, whether it be the way the light hit Fleur, making her seem ethereal, or the way the other glowed with beauty and grace, or her pale blonde hair down in waves, or her blue eyes seeming to swirl in fondness.

All Hermione knew was before her sat a goddess.

Hermione didn't realize her hand was already on Fleur's cheek, the brunette's shoulders rising slightly in tense recognition. Fleur seemed to have been caught unaware, too, her eyes slightly wider yet the fondness in her expression never wavering.

Fleur sported a faint blush on her own cheeks as well. But this time, she held her gaze as Hermione collected herself. It seemed like she overheated and lost all her thoughts, save for a single thought.

"You—you're breathtaking, Fleur."

Fleur blinked, letting the thought settle as she locked onto Hermione's eyes. Seeing Hermione avert her gaze, she smirked, catching Hermione slightly off-guard as her shoulders rose a tad higher than before.

"Of course I am. Who do you think I am?"

"Cheeky," Hermione remarked, smiling. "But I wouldn't have it any other way."

She quickly pecked Fleur on the lips, amused at Fleur's slightly dumb expression. She watched as Fleur blinked back to attention and smiled back. The brunette slowly turned to the other side, placing her feet in a pair of slippers as she stood up and approached the door.

_Should I use those jams Apolline sent over? Or maybe the strawberries Eve gave? Oh, but we overslept. I'll probably skip breakfast and check the lake first._

*"*Fleur, you'll be going to Apolline's today, right? I'll head over at around lunch after checking the lake—"

Hermione squeaked, interrupted by the feeling of arms surrounding her torso. A head rested snugly beside her face on her shoulder. A hum came from Fleur's lips, going further into Hermione's neck in contentment.

"Can't we at least have breakfast together, 'Ermione?"

"The lake, Fleur. I have to check while it's morning."

"Then I'll go with you."

"Fleur, we already agreed and assigned—"

"—roles that are very flexible—"

"—but not because you want to hog me, Fleur!" Hermione retorted back, unable to keep a laugh from escaping her lips as she tightly held Fleur's hands around her waist. The pair swayed back and forth, Fleur snuggling comfortably on her shoulder as Hermione felt a gentle happiness ripple through her. Contrary to all the extreme emotions she had felt in the past few days, what she felt now was more of the calming of a storm, the gentle waves of contentment brushing up her skin along with Fleur's hums behind her. Her body felt light, maybe like she was floating with a gentle breeze or carefully blooming in a carefully-tended garden. Hermione closed her eyes, allowing the soft feelings to prickle and tickle her like an old friend, welcoming these both new and familiar feelings into her heart.

She spun around to meet Fleur's amused eyes, leaning forward to find a Fleur with grateful eyes. Hermione couldn't resist, catching the blonde's lips with hers once more. Once more, she felt a radiant warmth fill her chest, and the two held back their own grins as Hermione cupped Fleur's cheek.

When the two reluctantly parted, Fleur's grin was so wide that Hermione had to take a second to catch herself from going speechless again. The blonde quickly tried to mask her grin, sporting a half-baked neutral expression, her specialty, yet she ultimately failed to do so, the ghost of a smile tugging her lips upward. Hermione laughed at Fleur's failed attempts.

"What is it, Fleur?"

"Nothing," the blonde giddily replied, chewing on her lower lip as she held back another smile. Hermione rose a brow, tilting her head in curiosity.

"You're happy."

"Utterly, 'Ermione."

Hermione smiled, wrapping her arms around Fleur's neck as the latter held her closer, now not holding back her smile. It was dazzling; the goddess was smiling because of _her._

_Gods, this woman is going to kill me one day._

"Fine, breakfast it is. But just a quick one, alright?"

Fleur's sweet smile almost made her melt then and there, but she slowly extricated herself from the blonde as the two freshened up and changed their clothes. After doing so, they headed to the kitchen. A set of footsteps followed after her as the brunette brought the basket on the dining table to the kitchen. She deftly sorted the items inside, jam, bread, and strawberries wrapped neatly in white cloth.

"Fancy the strawberries Eve sent up, Fleur? We could have the jam and bread Apolline sent, too."

"Ah, sure, but I'd also like to cook for you, mon coeur," Fleur replied softly, bringing up her sleeves to her elbows and opening the wooden cupboards.

"There's no need," Hermione reasoned. "It'll take too long."

"Please?" Fleur asked, her words slightly garbled with her mouth partly closed to hold a hair tie as the blonde bunned her hair up in place. "I promise it won't take much time."

The brunette rolled her eyes, conceding with a nod as she leaned back on a counter, watching Fleur sort the items before her — a small bag of buckwheat flour, regular flour, milk, eggs, and salt.

"Could you get the butter from the fridge?"

Hermione raised a brow, walking to the fridge and gingerly retrieving a stick of butter to hand over to the blonde, already placing a pan at low heat.

Fleur took a bowl and poured in measures of flour. She cracked a few eggs. With a practiced hand, she strongly whisked these together as Hermione peered curiously. The blonde smiled as Hermione leaned forward, resting her elbow on the counter.

"You're making crepes, aren't you?"

"You're right, Hermione," Fleur said, stopping her hand as she checked that the mixture was smooth enough. She took out her wand.

"I usually don't use spells," the blonde explained, "but this will have to be an exception. I don't want to refrigerate this for another 2 hours, after all."

With a gentle flick of Fleur's wand, Hermione felt the air over the bowl go cold. Fleur pursed her lips.

"Now," Fleur turned to Hermione. "Do you want me to teach you how to make crepes?"

Hermione was about to retort, saying she was pressed for time, but meeting her eyes was a Fleur who hid her eagerness beneath a neutral facade. Hermione sighed, conceding.

"Alright. What do I do?"

Fleur first demonstrated how to cook the crepe, emphasizing how fast it cooked and checking the corners for when they'd start browning. Soon, Hermione was cooking her first crepe with Fleur watching casually on the side. The brunette was dismayed when she flipped it for the last time; it was obviously a tad overcooked.

"That will be mine," Fleur commented, gently taking the crepe directly off the pan. Hermione watched as the blonde appraised it as if a delicate artifact, nodding.

"You're lucky I like my crepes crunchy. 5 points to Gryffindor."

She gingerly took a bite, closing her eyes and moaning in delight. Hermione blushed, quickly taking the bowl of batter and pouring a bit into the pan. In her rush, she got a bit of the batter on her fingers.

"Ah, Hermione. You're making a mess."

"I'm not—"

Fleur nonchalantly took Hermione's hand. Hermione expected the blonde to take one of the paper napkins and wipe the batter off... but she froze as Fleur smirked, opening her mouth, and bringing Hermione's hand to her lips. Hermione watched the blonde gently suck one of her fingers painstakingly slowly, licking off the batter as she tilted her head, watching Hermione with upturned eyes, obviously enjoying herself — whether it be from eating the batter or Hermione's flustered face, the brunette didn't know. Fleur never kept her eyes off of Hermione, keeping a gaze that made Hermione shudder.

"That— that batter's raw, Fleur!"

Fleur ignored her, sucking on the rest of her fingers as she sported various expressions of ecstasy, with Hermione's thoughts drifting further and further away into lewd territory. She couldn't keep her eyes off of Fleur as the blonde moaned and sucked on the rest of her trembling fingers. Hermione ignored her veela close to pounding out of her chest.

_This woman's going to be the death of me._

Hermione snapped out of it. Fleur had finished and was now moving closer; the nervous brunette gulped. However, she quickly calmed down as Fleur walked behind her, the latter's arms slowly encircling the brunette. She guided Hermione's arms back to the spatula and pan.

"Careful," Fleur whispered amusedly in her ear. "You're gonna burn the next one."

Hermione snapped to attention, quickly flipping the close to black crepe in the pan. She sighed, feeling herself heat up.

"Fleur, you're insufferable."

"That's payback for yesterday."

"I bet teaching me how to make crepes was just an excuse for you to torture me."

"Why? You want me to stop?"

A soft laugh escaped Hermione's lips. She could feel Fleur smile as the blonde kissed her neck softly. Hermione flipped the crepe again, slightly ticklish from the sensation.

"No, stay right there."

* * *

"Child, are you even listening?"

Fleur snapped back to reality, realizing she had spaced out for the third time since she arrived. Her thoughts had again drifted to Hermione and her beautiful laughter. Fleur was now seated at the living room of the Delacour house, with Eve and Apolline looking worriedly at her. She shook her head.

_Merde, I'm like a lovestruck teenager again._

"Sorry, what were you saying, Eve?"

"I truly am happy that you and your mate are getting along," Eve pinched between her brows, obviously exhausted as her usual silver glimmer was a bit faded. "But as I was saying, based on everything you told Apolline and I, it's most likely that this time-traveling veela you talked about is still within the area, lurking and waiting for the right moment to pounce."

Apolline nodded. "Eve and I discussed that we'd need to lure them out with something they can't ignore — an event that they would be forced to attend."

Fleur raised a brow, crossing her legs as she leaned forward.

"Like what, Maman?"

Apolline and Eve looked at each other knowingly as Fleur's eyes widened in realization. There was only one event she could think of that _all_ veela were required to attend. But were her Maman and Eve serious?

"You can't be serious. The Turnover? We're doing that?"

"Precisely," Eve said seriously. "We will be holding the Turnover. A few weeks should suffice for preparations."

Fleur furrowed her brows. The Turnover was the formal passing of the main clan leader title to a successor. It consisted of a grand ball at the Elder's House and a formal ceremony at the Circle of Avelin where all the veela gathered on its outskirts, channeling their power into the circle where the previous and new leaders stood at the center. Although the clan leader could choose when to pass the title of their own volition, the Turnover was normally done when the elder was already 100 years old, to ensure that the elder was still physically powerful enough to lead the clan. Eve wasn't due to pass the title for close to another decade.

"Must we take such a drastic measure, Maman? Eve?"

Eve sighed. "The two of us have been discussing all evening for our possible options. But this is the only method we could think of. I'm willing to do anything if it means protecting my people."

Fleur remained silent for a while before tilting her head in confusion.

"So what if the veela attends, Eve?" Fleur questioned, apprehensive. "Merde, how will we know it's them? And how will we catch them?"

"Your Time-Turner," Apolline replied, raising a finger at her daughter. Fleur felt for the artifact around her chest. "In the middle of the ceremony, when all the veela are concentrated on powering the circle, we'll be destroying the Time-Turner and check who significantly weakens and is affected by the tampering of their memories."

Eve continued, serious. "Yes, it will be obvious as the light they emit will be significantly weaker. It will be easier to catch them as they're physically weaker. And when that happens, Hermione and I — along with the other elders — will capture them."

Fleur allowed this information to settle. Then she raised a brow.

"Why not me?"

Eve chuckled, shaking her head.

"You can't, of course. You'll be right in the middle of the circle with me after all."

Fleur blinked in shock.

"Fleur Isabelle Delacour, you will be my successor."

* * *

A troubled Fleur walked towards the study, craving for a bit of peace and quiet to have time to think by herself. Her steps were heavy with burden as she walked thoughtlessly. For the past 2 hours, she had to listen to Apolline and Eve rationalize the plan as well as discuss the details of the ceremony. Fleur reasoned that she would only accept the proposition of becoming the successor if Hermione accepted.

They had also discussed the details of the ceremony. Apolline had now started to prepare for lunch, with noon approaching and Hermione arriving in an hour. Fleur needed to gather her thoughts in private, away from all the eyes and voices. Incessant voices and thoughts already bothered her with how Hermione was going to take the situation. Before she and Hermione had resolved everything, Fleur could barely picture the sort of life she would have after (hopefully) solving the case. Only fragments and inklings of a future with her daughter, maybe with her and Hermione meeting once in a while surfaced. But anything more was murky.

She had only felt herself gain hope as well as picture clearer futures yesterday up until this morning, especially when she held Hermione in her arms. Of course, she was never fully sure of where they'd end up, but at least the future she wanted with Hermione and Lia was clearer and more within reach. Fleur sighed, her thoughts cut short by the new problem she had with becoming the new clan leader, knowing that she had just dragged herself into another sticky situation.

_They just keep popping up one after the other._

In the past realities, she did have an inkling that Eve wanted her to be the successor, add to that the fact that historically, many Delacours became clan heads as well. However, Fleur never had to fully face the possibility given the circumstances of the veela clan disappearing; the title was simply never passed on.

 _I really want to reject the offer,_ Fleur thought, feeling her veela agree softly as their thoughts drifted to the only future they wanted — a simple and happy life with her family. She would definitely have to sit down and talk with Hermione later.

_Just when things were getting better._

She sighed, finally reaching the study. She entered, expecting an empty room but was slightly surprised to find the light open. In the corner, she found Victoire fast asleep, sitting on a chair and having a dozen books or so around her. A stack of files piled at her feet, mostly those relating to her work at the Ministry. At the floor near her hands was a copy of 'The Physical Properties of Magical Areas and Summons.'

"Ah, so this is where you were," Fleur muttered under her breath, approaching her daughter and gently tapping her shoulders. The Weasley stirred awake, adjusting her eyes to the lit room and yawning. Victoire smiled at her mother as she rolled her shoulders.

"Good morning, Maman."

"A good morning to you, too," Fleur said as she watched her daughter sit up. "I see you've been hard at work."

Victoire shook her head, smiling as she picked off the fallen book at the floor. Her fingers flipped to a page as she spoke.

"Yes, well, to be fair I haven't really been working on _actual_ work," her eyes going to her undisturbed pile of Ministry files. "I've been more concerned about the Argenti case."

"You don't have to—"

"You can't keep me out of this, Maman. I want to help," she said, her eyes flitting to her mother, "and you have to admit that maybe you need a fresh perspective to look at the case."

Noticing Fleur's disapproval, Victoire grimaced and merely went back to reading the book she held in hand. Fleur heaved a sigh, sitting beside Victoire and pursing her lips as she read from the page Victoire was on.

"So right now... you're trying to find out about where the perpetrator is operating to summon the Argenti?"

"Yes," Victoire replied, her fingers tracing a few lines of the book.

"Victoire, Hermione and I have already consulted this book," Fleur patiently said, "along with many others, countless of times. Even so, we couldn't deduce where they could operate."

Her daughter ignored her, reading aloud verbatim from a section of the book.

"' _A candidate area, for it to summon a living being without any tangible connection such as a tangible object_ — similar to a portkey, Maman— _would need to satisfy 3 conditions."_

_"The first: the area must be filled with enough magical energy, at least with a density of 3,000 candelas of magical energy per meter cubed."_

" _The second: the area should be large enough such that its dense magic can roam free during the summoning then concentrate towards its center at the middle of the summoning."_

" _The third: the area's magic should not be of the modern kind modern wizards and witches utilize. This is comparatively weaker to ancient magic, and so the older the magic of the area, the better and more powerful the summoning's capabilities, and possible effects."_

" _Such a summon would generate an enormous amount of energy. Hence, it is suggested that this be done in an open area so that the energy naturally dissipates.'"_

Fleur nodded as Victoire took in a deep breath, continuing.

"Maman, I was thinking— why hasn't the Ministry ever detected any magical energy in the past months? Maybe we should have a veela try tracking instead?"

Fleur shrugged.

"In the past realities, Hermione and I asked ourselves the same question. And so, after incessantly asking for permission to go up to the Department of Mysteries, we ourselves tried using the Global Tree to try tracking the location." Fleur furrowed a brow in frustration. "However, Victoire, there really was no location. I don't know how the perpetrator did it but there wasn't any trace."

Victoire remained silent, processing the information that was up in the air. She first looked at the book again, blank as she racked her brain for any sort of connection, then about to speak, she looked to her mother. She stopped short, her eyes flitting to the chain on her mother's chest.

She took a double-take, blinking as a sudden thought occurred to her.

"Grandmaman told me about your letter concerning the Time-Turner..." she said, trailing off as she chewed on her lip. Her eyes widened slightly, leaning forward as she let go of the book with a thud. Fleur flinched a bit in surprise.

 _That—that's stupid... right?_ She told herself.

"What is it, Victoire? What did you realize?"

"This is going to sound crazy," she began, slightly unsure but hopeful. It scared Fleur— was her daughter finally going to have an answer for her unanswered question?

Victoire took in a quick breath. "What if the reason why the Global Tree couldn't track the area is that its area— its room in the Department of Mysteries— is the very area where the perpetrator is working? What if they're using the tree to call the Argenti?"

Fleur blinked, her mind invaded by a million thoughts and questions. Victoire immediately grabbed a quill, drawing carelessly across a parchment as she drew what she explained further.

"Think about it, Maman," she pushed on. "The reason why the tree couldn't track the area was that... it was tracking itself— its magic would conflict with itself! Hence you wouldn't have a trace. Because the trace would just go back to itself and look like it were part of its own aura. Instead of having two circular auras connected by a line, you'd just have 2 overlapping circles, making it seem like an extremely powerful area."

Fleur opened her mouth, but her daughter cut her off.

"Maman, it fits all the descriptions. Its area filled and packed with magical energy due to the tree, which would be emitting magic around the clock due to the changing family lines and branches. And second, it's an infinitely growing family tree. Even if the room were small, its endless branches— infinitely many as it adds newborn wizards and witches— would have enough surface area to allow magic to roam freely. They'd just fold in itself! Third, that tree is known to have been traced back even to way before Merlin! Even back to Solomon! It's definitely been alive since ancient times. Hence it should be operating based on Ancient Magic!"

Victoire quickly stood up and scrambled to the nearby drawers, combing through rows of newspapers folded neatly into a compartment. Fleur followed, voicing her thoughts. "Victoire, you understand what you're insinuating, right? That the Ministry— or at least the Unspeakables— have a part in this?"

"Yes, and the Unspeakables work almost completely autonomously from the rest of the Ministry."

Her daughter stood and paced back and forth in the room. Then, with a sudden realization, she immediately scrambled to a nearby desk and combed through a row of newspapers. Finding the one she was looking for, she scanned the newspaper then hurriedly handed it to Fleur. Fleur raised a brow, close to snatching the paper and reading its headline.

"When Aunt Hermione became Minister of Magic, she publicized what the themes were for the rooms of the Department of Mysteries, right? For transparency sake?"

She pushed on, pointing to the picture on the newspaper, explaining quickly, as if her thoughts would disappear.

"Maman, there are 12 doors: Truth, Mind, Soul, Body, Love, Fear, Hatred, Power, Death, Life, Space, and Time. And the Ministry explained that rooms could be connected through halls or chambers in case the objects of study were related to two mysteries. Out of all of those, obviously the Global Tree would probably belong to the Life Room, right? Families and lineages and births, of course?"

Fleur nodded, her eyes narrowing as she still didn't seem to know where Victoire was getting to.

"Days ago, remember that I confirmed Aunt Hermione's muggle lineage through an Unspeakable at the Ministry? Merlin, how could I have been so stupid?! Why didn't I realize?"

She straightened the newspaper in her hands with a quick tug, obviously irritated at herself.

"Do you know what they let slip?"

"They said verbatim, 'I can confirm that Hermione Jean Granger was born to Jean and Henry Granger, both pure muggles, based on the Global Tree at the _Space-Time Hall_.'"

Fleur's eyes widened as she stood abruptly.

"Now why on earth," Victoire continued, taking deep breaths, "would the Global Tree be there, Maman?"

* * *

Wendy and Lia were at Lia's hidden room as the part-veela gathered a few of her things, including a set of books for her classes, an unused bag, and piles of parchment. Classes were set to start again tomorrow, and all the students were either scrambling to finish their last-minute homework at their common rooms or the library or, in the case of Gryffindors, settling back in at the newly renovated and fixed Gryffindor Tower. Including in this group were Rose and Laurel, currently fixing their new sets of possessions and reacquainting themselves with the girls' dormitory. Many students wore stressed and/or brooding expressions, dragging themselves through halls like the half-dead.

At breakfast, Minerva gave a speech, along with Cassandra, speaking about the safety of the school and the need to return back to regular activities. The Ministry officials were also to be completely gone by nightfall, except for a few stationed officials who were to help keep the safety of Hogwarts during this time. Wendy sadly said goodbye to her mother, and a few of the teens bid Harry farewell in the morning after breakfast.

Wendy, sporting an extremely glum face, lay down on Lia's bed, sprawled out as her lungs inflated and deflated slowly. She looked at Lia in the corner, happily folding a few white dresses and storing a few new books on her shelves.

"I still can't believe your Mum would just send you all those new beautiful things through owl," Wendy remarked, blowing a bit of her blonde hair off her face. Lia smiled to herself knowingly. "Why not just hand them to you personally?"

Lia chuckled, leaning back on her arms as she looked at her friend.

"Maybe she just wanted the whole school to know about my fancy new possessions?" She teased, watching Wendy sit up with a disbelieving expression.

"The headmistress? Wanting to spoil her daughter with elegant dresses? The books I find believable but the dresses? I find that hard to believe."

"Hey, Mum can be fashionable when she wants to be," Lia said, carefully storing the dresses in her drawers. Once she closed them, she turned to her friend with downcast eyes.

"What's got your panties in a twist, Griffiths?"

"Class starts tomorrow again."

Lia raised a brow, crossing her arms.

"Wendy, I've seen you finish all our homework already. You're not racing to meet deadlines or anything, right?"

"Just not in the mood, I guess," she huffed out. "I wanted more time."

"More time to... snog Rose?"

Wendy laughed, albeit a bit emptily, her smile not reaching her eyes as she bit her inner cheek. Lia sat at the end of the bed, patting the spot beside her. Wendy sat beside her friend, feeling Lia take her arm and shaking her a bit.

"What's wrong?"

Wendy closed her eyes, biting her lip as she formed words.

"Without the classes, I just felt like I the past few days have been so fun— spending time with you, with Laurel, with Rose. I could almost forget about the whole Argenti Case." She placed her hands up as if to prove her point, smiling bitterly. "And they're really great people. I wish I had become friends with them much earlier."

Lia smiled fondly.

"I feel the same way," she said. She grabbed a pair of marbles on a nearby table and started playing with these.

"So," Lia continued, "you're sad because we won't have as much time to spend together because of our classes? Is this because of what I said during breakfast? That Laurel and I having to train again without you two in the Room of Requirement?"

After a moment, Wendy nodded. Noticing Wendy's hesitance, Lia laughed, quickly hugging her friend who flinched slightly.

"Awww, you're the biggest softie I know, Wendy," she remarked with a saccharine voice as if she were a doting mother, immediately tickling her friend as Wendy burst into giggles and pushed Lia's hands off her.

"Bugger off! You know I'm ticklish!"

Lia kept her hands off but continued her teasing.

"I swear, when you got jealous of Rose and me, I felt myself shake in my shoes. I didn't know you had it in you to act so enraged!" Lia looked to her friend who averted her shy gaze. "You've really fallen hard for Rose, haven't you?"

Wendy slowly beamed, a soft smile reaching up to her eyes. She seemed to have slightly dozed off into their own world as she sported a faint blush.

"Yes, I really have," she whispered. "She's perfect."

Lia smiled wider as her friend reddened further. Lia threw a marble up then caught it in mid-air. She did this several times, with only the sounds of the marbles clinking filling the room for a short while. Lia turned to Wendy.

"Wendy, take care of Rose, alright?"

"Of course I will."

"And don't worry, we've got lots of time after all of this," Lia began, turning to her friend with upturned lips. "After we solve the case, the 4 of us still have the first Hogsmeade weekend together, right? Then many more weekends, picnics, veela duels, and trips to the library."

Wendy raised a brow, her eyes dancing with happiness as she was about to open her mouth. When she turned to a brightly smiling Lia, the words seeming to have been caught in her throat, her voice coming out short in a trailing breath of air.

She seemed to have been thinking, judging by the way her eyes stayed in place while her mind wandered. Her lungs shortly stopped breathing, suspended in mid-air as she bit her lip. Soon, Lia felt her friend start trembling slightly.

"Then take care of yourself, too," Wendy whispered.

"Me?" Lia asked, pointing at herself as she pocketed her marbles and held her friend's hand. "You're worried about me? Wendy, you are looking at one of the soon-to-be-greatest and most powerful veela—"

"—That's exactly why I'm worried, Lia," she choked out, letting go of her friend's hand and standing up to face the opposite side. Lia watched the other's shoulders rise as she breathed in deeply. Then, she allowed these to fall abruptly as she spun back with a slightly distressed gaze.

"I don't know what Rose's told you, alright?" She shakily said. "But you're putting yourself in danger. You keep telling Laurel not to show her powers so that this—" she put her hands up exasperatedly, "—this enemy doesn't know she's a powerful veela. But why are you suddenly showing your powers, too? Wouldn't that make you more of a target?"

"Yes, and that's the point," Lia replied, standing up. "We're trying to confuse the perpetrator with who the 'Golden One' is, whoever or whatever that is," she feigned, "so that Laurel isn't targeted."

"But must you put yourself in danger, Lia?" Her friend insisted, her eyes hardening as a few tears threatened to spill over. "Why can't you just stay safe?"

"I will be safe—"

"—No, showing off by running through the halls like nothing, constantly disappearing, acting weirdly... they've all— they're all endangering you, Lia."

Wendy sniffled, unable to look her friend in the eyes. Lia placed her hands on her friend's trembling shoulders, trying to pull her in for a hug, but Wendy stayed firmly in place.

"Then if it helps," Lia said softly, wiping a few stray tears off Wendy's face, "Laurel showed a lot of power in her Quidditch Match. We would probably look like we're of equal power from an outsider's point of view—"

Wendy cut Lia off.

"But while Laurel's out and about as if nothing's wrong, you're always missing! Both you and Laurel's eyes turn silver, but while yours change less frequently, yours shine brighter and are more noticeable. When anyone stands close to both of you, your aura feels stronger and more piercing."

Wendy groaned, continuing to ramble. "And that match? Fine, I admit it. Laurel exhibited powers in her match, calling the Snitch to her and whatnot, but she seemed to not even know what she was doing. Laurel acted rashly and didn't seem to be in control. You on the other hand can obviously control your powers. I've heard enough from Laurel about her experiences with lack of control, and to an enemy who probably knows much more than I do, you probably look like a better target. Add to that, you're more careful, obviously know much more about the Veela, smarter, run much faster, have shown more thrall—"

Lia interrupted. "—but that's just because I'm older!"

"The perpetrator won't care!"

"Wendy, why can't you just understand that—"

"—Laurel's powers might be obvious, but you're overdoing yours—"

"—which is good—"

"—if you're trying to kill yourself, Lia!"

Lia stared at her frustrated friend who gave her a sad gaze. The black-haired teen cupped her friend's tear-streaked cheeks, giving her friend a determined look.

"I'm going to be fine," she whispered, "I have help... from Mum, from other veela, from Rose, from Laurel, from you. And I'm strong enough. Believe in me."

Wendy didn't respond, only averting her eyes once more and looking to the door. Lia let go of her friend, picking up her bag and walking to the exit. She beckoned Wendy to follow. The two made their way down the narrow secret passage, their shadows dancing with the light of the torches. Lia was at the front, with Wendy trailing behind, still silent as she sobbed.

Lia frowned. _I have to talk to Rose. Maybe I am overdoing it._

She considered what Wendy said, her thoughts drifting to what she and Laurel have been exhibiting in the past days. She slowed her walk, muting the sobs from behind her and thinking.

_Alright, maybe I need more practice with controlling my thrall and eyes. I'll have to ask Maman for help with that. At Laurel's match, she did seem out of it, but that was just because she didn't get to properly grow with a mentor. Hence, her veela's just overwhelming her._

She frowned, slowing her steps even further. She heard Wendy speak confusedly, but her own loud thoughts caught her attention instead.

_Something's wrong. What did Wendy say again?_

"You forgot something?" Wendy asked.

Lia ignored her friend, thinking about the Snitch, with how Laurel waited patiently as she hovered above the field, merely putting her hand up. Lia remembered closing her eyes, listening for the extremely soft flapping of wings with her amplified veela hearing. Indeed, she found the Snitch in the stands. She remembered how everyone, including Wendy, fixed their gazes on Laurel, and nobody seemed to have noticed the Snitch approach the area above where the Seeker hovered as it was dead quiet.

In the days following the match, not a single person talked about Laurel calling the Snitch; the talk had always been about her speed and luck. It was only Lia who knew about her calling the Snitch to her area.

Lia stopped fully in her tracks, the hairs on her neck raising. She felt her heart stop.

She had an extremely bad feeling.

"Wendy, how did you know Laurel _called_ the Snitch?" She asked, nervously chuckling. "I never told you that."

Lia only heard dead silence. Nobody dared to take in a breath or make a move.

"Forgive me, Lia," she choked out. "I really wish we did have more time."

Before Lia could flip around, everything went pitch black.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally gotten to this point xD GOD FINALLY
> 
> I'll be explaining why and how Wendy's part of the other side next chapter and what exactly she's been doing behind the scenes. LMAO hope the discussions I talked about made sense with the tree and the rest, but right now I'm just going back to work. Let's see how fast I write the next chapter because work's been piling up as always. Hope you guys liked it, and have a great day :>


	32. Bonds

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wendy and Lia's friendship, the truth about Wendy, motives of the Caller of Argenti, a whole lot of information enough to make both our heads hurt, emotions, and a lot of running.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was the hardest to write honestly — way too much information (I don't even know if I covered everything) and a lot of emotions interspersed in between. Took reaaaally long (it's my longest so far with more than 10k words wtf).
> 
> Make sure to have a lot of time on your hands and with a sound mind when you read this. I'm hoping everything makes sense because dammit even my brain can't handle this xD

_"Griffiths, quickly! We need to lose them!"_

_The two ran as fast as their legs could take them, sprinting out an exit as a strong gust of wind close to blew Lia away when she stepped out. She stumbled through to the open area, pulling a disoriented Wendy, both their hairs a mess with the playful wind. They ran into the open, snickering at the voices and steps of a few confused students still running in the castle. The sounds grew farther and farther away as the two made their way through the field._

_Wendy's eyes lazily looked to Lia, a soft smile gracing her lips as she watched her friend look up to the sky, her untamed locks dancing in the wind. Her ears perked up to a building up chuckle, then a free laugh as Lia threw her head back and plopped down on the grass._

_"I've never run that fast in my entire life, Wendy," she remarked, still holding her stomach from laughing._

_Wendy slowly sat like a deer in headlights; she had never heard Lia laugh before. She had thought that maybe the girl was just forever to wear a permanent stoic face, rendered mute unless forcibly talked to. The happiest she had seen Lia was when she had a half-smile, only present when the latter's tutoring of Wendy had finally paid off._

_And now, Wendy sat dumbly, finding a completely different Lia — one who seemed broken out of her shell and so.... free._

' _She could actually laugh,' Wendy thought._

_She shook out of her thoughts, watching Lia's now more serene yet still happy expression as she gazed upturned to the sky, watching the clumped white clouds pass by as the world turned slowly. Her friend had her arms behind her head, her eyes unfocused as she enjoyed the soft breeze that blew her jet-black hair._

_"Well," Wendy said, laying down beside her friend, feeling the soft grass beneath her. "I've never done that either."_

_"Seems we bring the worst out of each other, don't we?"_

_Wendy chuckled, counting the clouds as they passed by._

_"I wouldn't say the absolute worst."_

_"I literally would've cooped up in the corner of the library for the rest of my life, if it weren't for you," Lia said, raising her hand to the sky, clasping the unreachable clouds. "And if it weren't for me, you'd probably be happily chatting and stuffing yourself at the common room with Potter and Malfoy."_

*Wendy closed her eyes, enjoying the silence that settled comfortably. They would soon have to go back, but the two didn't quite care. Right now, it seemed like the world had frozen in time, and the two remained satisfied in its field, satisfied with only the lulling breeze and peaceful skies accompanying them.

Wendy followed Lia's eyes, looking up to the calm skies as she fully rested her head on the soft grass under them. She sensed a hesitance in her friend's eyes as they flitted back and forth between Wendy and the sky.*

*Wendy leaned on an elbow and turned fully to Lia.

"What is it?"*

*Lia looked at her, smiling playfully but with a hint of seriousness in her tone.

"One day, I'll tell you a secret."*

*A raised brow.

"Why don't you just tell me now?"

Lia chuckled. "I'm not quite ready yet, but I'll tell you... maybe next year? Yeah, next year would be good. Alright, I promise I'll do just that."

Wendy chewed on her lip, looking back up to the sky. She heard Lia speak again.

"But you'll have to tell me a secret too if I tell you mine. It's only fair."

The blonde remained silent, hearing the distant sounds of footsteps and chatter from the castle.

"You won't like my secrets," she joked, half-smiling.

Lia sat back, stretching her arms as she sighed. Wendy felt her heart crack into two, finding a bright smile adorn Lia's lips.

"Remember the first time we met, Griffiths?"

Wendy frowned. "At the library?"

"Yeah. You told me I should lighten up more— to stop avoiding people," Lia said softly. "I was honestly so mean to you, telling you to mind your own business and leave me alone."

She sighed. "But you didn't."

She looked at Wendy with grateful eyes.

"I'm so happy you didn't."

Wendy felt her resolve to weaken. Lia was too vulnerable in front of her, too trusting.

Her eyes widened as Lia pulled her up, dragging her arm back to the castle as she stumbled behind her friend.

She was supposed to be happy—happy that everything was going according to plan. In fact, everything was going perfectly. But rather than things falling into place, she felt things internally fall apart. With each laugh, with each chuckle, and with each smile Lia gave her, instead, she only felt pure dread.

Their steps resounded throughout the halls, with Lia pulling the two to their next class. Wendy wished their clashing feet muted what Lia said.

But she heard it all loud and clear.

"Your secrets, I'll take them all. After all, you accepted all of me, too."*

_A sharp intake of breath. Then the brightest smile she could muster._

_It faltered slightly, seeing the other smile back._

_Then that damned laugh again._

*'Just smile, Wendy. It'll all be over with soon,' she thought, closing her eyes as she ran.

Smile.*

* * *

Cold.

Not like the freezing snow of winter or the piercing ice that pained one's senses. It didn't hurt.

Rather, Lia felt nothing.

It was a cold emptiness that filled every part of her being. Like every sensation was being numbed 'till there was not a single thing left, not a single thought or emotion. Like every happy memory was slowly seeping out of her like the effects of a Dementor's kiss. Except she'd never experienced that. This would probably come close. Or perhaps this was even worse. She reckoned nothing could come close to what she felt, though.

She felt her arms unmovable behind her, locked by some invisible hold. She couldn't move her feet either, paralyzed as if bound by some magical rope to her chair. The air was cold. The chair was cold. Her blood was cold.

Cold, cold, cold.

Lia kept her head down, allowing her hair to block her face as if she didn't want even a bit of light to reach her eyes. She didn't want to think. Didn't dare look. Didn't want her suspicions to be confirmed.

But the movement in front of her was confirmation enough. The footsteps were much too familiar to her ears, the gentleness in their demeanor plaguing her mind as if each step were a pound on the door to just open the door— accept what had happened.

The steps stopped right in front of her. She heard the other crouch slightly, and she felt a gentle touch part the stray hair that covered her face.

Lia couldn't help but tremble slightly. Was it fear? Sadness? Pain? Regardless, she felt her tears spill out when she found the familiar streak of blonde, the familiar green eyes. Even the furrow in her brow was there. But the gaze she gave was neither soft nor shy. Instead, Wendy gave her a look as empty as what Lia felt. Lia felt cold fingers attempt to fix her hair. She snapped away from the touch, inhaling sharply.

Lia once again saw the room she was in. It was close to pitch black around her, but her enhanced senses told her that it was a room of wooden walls and floorboards. Moonlight poured out from behind her, to her right, so she assumed there was a window there.

"Wendy?"

She didn't even try to squirm out of her chair anymore. She had tried much too long moments ago, and she already felt bruises from struggling. She felt her veela cry from within her. But she didn't try soothing her. She had no strength to.

"Wendy, where are we?"

Wendy ignored her, rummaging through her robes as if looking for something. Lia had so many questions, so many thoughts. And they all convoluted and thrashed like fighting animals in her mind. Her voice felt weak, her throat sore. Had she been screaming? Regardless, she only managed to choke out one word.

"Why?"

A flash of regret in Wendy's eyes. She averted her gaze. Lia noticed that her friend was still wearing her Hogwarts robes. Her Slytherin badge glinted in the moonlight.

"Wendy, why?!"

Lia spoke in a hoarse voice, her lips trembling uncontrollably as she wailed loudly, her veela screaming from within her. She couldn't keep the violent outburst of her veela in as she knelt to the floor, crashing down unbalanced as she rolled to the side.

"Lia, I need you to drink this," Wendy said softly, bringing out a flask with a familiar bright orange liquid. Lia's veela stirred, close to screaming at Lia to get away from Wendy. Her eyes widened as she jerked away quickly.

"Why? Wendy get away from me! What is that?! Is that veela suppressor?!"

"Stop moving," she said simply, following Lia as she held the latter down.

"St— Stop! You don't know what you're doing—"

"—I do, now will you cooperate, Lia?! I don't like holding you down!"

_Laughing as Wendy holds down your mouth. You escape, running down the halls as you chant Rose's name loudly._

"Stop moving!" Wendy spat out, frowning as she forced Lia down again. "Make this easier for the both of us!"

"Wendy, tell me this is some kind of a fucking joke!" Lia choked out, still squirming out of Wendy's grasp.

_You both laugh at a poor attempt at a joke Albus tells Scorpius. "Even I could make a better one," Wendy remarks, but you laugh as hers are just as horrible._

"Drink it. Please, Lia," she pleaded. Lia closed her eyes as yet another memory attacked her mind.

_"Lia, you have to drink this," she says, handing you a bottle of alcohol. "I swear. It's the best." Your brows shoot up as you smell the alcohol._

_"Where on earth did you get this?!"_

_Wendy winked, then smiled as you sipped it appraisingly, then gave her an approving nod._

_"Best damn tasting alcohol I've ever had, Griffiths."_

Lia inhaled deeply again, and she felt herself ice-cold seep into her lungs. They inflated and deflated at a faster rate. Wendy's brows shot up, immediately moving to Lia.

"I— I trusted you! I thought— I thought we were friends, Wendy," Lia cried out, choking and breathing erratically. Lia could barely see now, her vision obscured by her tears.

Wendy stilled slightly, hesitating.

"You shouldn't have."

_"You shouldn't have," you say with awe, finding a small cake and candle waiting at the common room. You blow out the candle, smiling at Wendy's illuminated face as she clapped merrily, singing slightly off-key. With a fond smile, she hands you a card with splotched handwriting atop watercolored paintings._

Lia heard a few scuffles.

"Please... get up, Lia."

Wendy had tried to gently bring her up, but Lia dragged herself back violently.

"Lia, just cooperate with me. Just—"

"—like hell I'll listen to you!"

Lia whimpered as she shook her head continuously away from the flask.

_Talking about your dreams of becoming a professor. Wendy raises a brow as she imagines you in front of a class. "Professor Evernight sounds cool... to be fair," she remarks. You puff your chest out as she laughs. Wendy talks about her dreams of becoming an Auror to rid of dark beings. You agree, elbowing her to improve her wandless magic._

"Evernight, you have to calm down! You have to drink this—"

"—GET AWAY FROM ME—"

"—stop— stop resisting!"

Lia sobbed and shook uncontrollably, her chair brought back up to an upright position as Wendy forced the flask to her lips.

_Suggesting a book about creatures as a present for Rose. You both write letters to bookstores until the sun rises. Then you pretend to sleep, with Wendy sleeping peacefully beside you. After a few moments, you guiltily sneak to your secret room._

Lia swallowed the liquid, blinking back tears as she felt her veela recede— as if the creature was physically being removed out of her body. She thrashed violently, her head in swirling pure pain as everything turned red in her vision.

"Wendy! Wendy, make it stop! It hurts! It hurts!" She wailed out. Every part of her body felt like it was on fire as if her veela was trying to burn her from within.

_She cuts your hair a tad too short. You spell it a bit longer. You take turns cutting and spelling— both of your laughs echoing in the common bathroom. You hated when people touched your hair, but for some reason, you thought that maybe it was alright if it were Wendy._

' _Everything would be alright if she stays by my side,'_ _you think._

"Wendy, please. Make it stop. Please!"

Wendy was frozen in place, shaking as she let out a small whimper, watching her friend thrash in pain both physically and emotionally. Her heart dropped, hearing Lia's screams and wails fill the room. Each scream felt like a stab to her chest, piercing through both her body and heart. She couldn't bear to look at her friend, clutching her hands together as tears streamed down her own cheeks.

"Why?" Wendy whispered. "Why did it have to be you?"

Noticing that Lia wasn't calming down, she shook her head and approached the other.

"You need to calm down. The more you resist, the more your veela will hurt you."

"Wendy," Lia said in between sobs, feeling herself lose balance as Wendy caught the chair before it fell to the side. "Make it stop," she whispered, losing strength and close to collapsing. She could have sworn she saw tears fall from Wendy's eyes. She didn't get a close look however, as her chair was brought back up and Wendy walked a few paces farther from her.

"It's stopped, right?" Wendy began hesitantly. She put her hands up. "If you had only just listened to me."

"Fuck off! What do you want?"

"Now," Wendy said, breathing in deeply and calming herself. Her voice was still weak. She clenched her fists and put them behind her back. "Are you calm now?"

"Calm!? My head still hurts!"

"But can you answer my questions?" She asked.

"I'll answer them all." Lia blurted out without thinking.

Lia's eyes widened, immediately shutting her mouth in surprise. Her eyes darted to Wendy who took in a sharp breath. A few footsteps.

_Did she fucking give me Veritaserum?!_

"Yes, I did. I gave you Veritaserum mixed with Veela suppressor," Wendy said. "Don't worry. It isn't permanent."

"Wendy don't you dare interrogate me! Don't you dare!"

Wendy slowly kneeled in front of Lia, now looking into the latter's eyes which fiercely stared back, still red from crying. Lia clenched her jaw, clamping her mouth hard as Wendy shook her head.

"Stop resisting," she whispered. "If you answer right, it'll all be over."

Lia remained silent and adamant at physically closing her mouth.

Wendy sighed. "'You'll have to tell me a secret too if I tell you mine.' You said that, right?"

"Yes, I said that," she said without thinking. She cursed, mentally berating herself. "Why are you doing this, Wendy?"

Wendy ignored her, shaking her head and asking with a slight tone of hope.

"Tell me the truth. Are you the Golden One?"

"Yes, I think so."

Lia's eyes widened as she immediately closed her mouth firmly. Wendy face cracked into one of defeat and devastation as she slumped down and shook. After a few moments, the blonde stepped back, pacing to the other side of the room as she held her head in her hands.

"Why are you acting like this isn't what you wanted?" Lia demanded. Her head was still light and spinning. She paused, closing her eyes for a moment as she regained her senses— except they weren't as sharp as before, with her veela still suppressed. She was slightly taken aback to find Wendy's concerned and dismayed face watching her intently.

"Am I not your goal?" She asked. "You're the Caller of Argenti, aren't you?"

"Yes and no."

Lia growled. "What kind of bullshit is that?!"

Wendy ignored her and walked behind Lia. The part-veela latter heard the scraping of wood across the floorboards. Her kidnapper-slash-friend gently placed a chair in front of Lia. She spoke as she sat, slumping forward on the backrest and facing Lia.

Her eyes seemed lifeless— as if her one source of hope was gone.

"I was the one who caused the incidents."

"The one at the Gryffindor common room and girls' dormitory?"

"Yes, I caused those." In the dim moonlight, Lia could almost make out a few tracks of tears on Wendy's cheeks.

"My Mum," she began softly, "is the real Caller of Argenti."

Lia's brows shot up.

"Cassandra Griffiths? The Minister of Magic?"

"Yes," she replied. "Mum has been working with the Unspeakables of the Ministry. Usually, Unspeakables are uncontrollable and work independently from the Ministry. But Mum was originally an Unspeakable before becoming Minister, and she, along with the other Unspeakables, have been working towards the same goal, even before Rose's Mum became Minister."

"Back when Kingsley Shacklebolt was Minister, he ordered for Azkaban to be rid of all its Dementors— to be replaced by Aurors. Everyone praised the act, and surely, it was ideal considering the lessons of society from the war. To everyone's surprise and triumph, he was able to do it. It made headlines; everyone was astonished to hear that the decades of terror at Azkaban would finally be changed radically. Papers extolled the genius behind Shacklebolt's team, publicizing that the Ministry was able to negotiate with them such that the Dementors wouldn't harm any muggles or wizards."

She shook her head. "What nobody knew was that what the Ministry publicized wasn't entirely true. Most of it was kept under wraps from the media, with only Shacklebolt, a few trusted Aurors, and the Unspeakables knowing of what really happened. Shacklebolt had initially tried negotiating with the Dementors, telling them they weren't welcome anymore at Azkaban. They didn't want to leave; after all, it was a haven for Dementors, having an endless legal supply of helpless criminals. Another thing was that... where would they even go? The Ministry wouldn't provide another sort of haven for them."

"And so, the Dementors fought back."

"With the few Aurors and Unspeakables, they banished the Dementors from Azkaban. Shacklebolt thought it would be a good idea to study the Dementors and place them under the Department of Mysteries— under the Unspeakables. He reasoned that studying the creatures more would help prevent another reign of terror."

"And so the Dementors were herded to another area, which Unspeakables cryptically call The Noir. It's a far-off island in the middle of nowhere, with only miles and miles of water around it. The only way to get there is through an access through the Fear Room at the Department of Mysteries. They always needed a group of Unspeakables to guard the Dementors around the clock. Aside from that, they strictly follow the rule that the Fear Room is to be kept locked at all times with strong charms and defenses, only to be opened when shifts were to change, so that in the case of an emergency, the Dementors wouldn't be able to exit in that way."

Wendy sighed. "Shacklebolt was stupid— naive in thinking that only a few Unspeakables could guard the weak group of Dementors; he thought that such a method would be effective in the long-run. At first, it was doable. The Unspeakables rotated and had shifts in keeping the Dementors in line. Moreover, the Dementors were severely weakened because it was during the time of the peace right after the war; times were hopeful, and not much negativity was spread around, so it was relatively easy to control the Dementors, which weren't able to breed and multiply."

"The problem was that the island— the Noir— was compact enough to concentrate the Dementors into an extremely small area. They fed off of the extremely little life they could find on the island, namely all the plants and animals. Soon, the island became barren, and the Dementors clustered into a single spot. They started doing something strange, as if desperate in feeding off of something— anything. The Unspeakables watched as they started feeding off of each other."

"When the Dementors did this, they started morphing in form, their bodies joining into larger masses. They grew more powerful, even killing a few of the Unspeakables. And most disturbingly, unlike the former Dementors that eventually withered and died, these didn't die off."

The both of them shuddered.

"The Unspeakables knew that this only meant trouble. They were lucky that they were still able to control the Dementors, but they immediately knew that their luck wouldn't last long. They realized that the only reason why they were able to control the dark creatures was because of the peaceful conditions at the time. And that meant that when the day came that the emotional climate would worsen once more, the Dementors would strike back."

"And once they did, they'd attack from right within the Ministry."

"My Mum, along with many Unspeakables, foresaw an impending disaster if they weren't to do something— find an alternative. And so they started looking for a different solution to finally rid of the Dementors once and for all."

She shook her head, taking a few paces across the room, going in and out of the moonlight. "Of course, Mum knew it was impossible to kill them. And so she desperately looked for a way to either contain them permanently or banish them another way. She consulted every book, every expert, and every idea that crossed her path."

"That's when she looked at a mystery right in her own department. She questioned why the Global Tree—used to track and record family bloodlines— was at the Space-Time Hall rather than the Life Room, where it was supposed to have belonged. Nobody could answer her, and so she searched and dug through the oldest of the Ministry's Unspeakable files."

"From there, she found out that the Global Tree wasn't actually originally called its current name. Centuries ago, it was called Urlea's Tree, which used to be the tree in the middle of Urlea Lake on veela grounds. Aside from its current purpose of keeping track of bloodlines and family records, part of its original purpose was to keep track of veela from other realities. It was apparently to see if one's true mate even belonged to the current reality, and it helped veela manage their expectations of whether or not they should even seek them. The files said that a certain 'Golden One' had a direct connection to Urlea Lake based on their names. But it didn't explain why."

"Long story short, the reason as to why Urlea's Tree is now under the British Ministry of Magic is because it served as part of wizarding France's peace offering at the end of the Seven Year War in 1763. It was part of the wizarding counterpart of the Treaty of Paris, so to speak."

"Anyway, my Mum tried experimenting with the tree— tried to break its silvery binds and restrictions. But it was of no use as the extremely ancient veela magic that protected it was fortified and strong against every type of magic she knew. After days and days of clashing with the binds, she close to gave up; she thought it was a dead-end. However, she did get something out of it. She was soon approached by a veela."

Lia raised a brow.

"Ever since then and until now, Mum's been in contact with that veela who I'll be naming 'Vil' for simplicity sake. Vil was— is— a veela who lives on veela grounds in France, and she heard Mum's cries for help through Urlea Lake. It made sense, with Urlea Lake and the Global Tree or Urlea's Tree being connected through their magic. Mum's cries to the tree were transmitted through the lake, alerting Vil on the other side."

"Mum explained the situation to Vil and begged her for help. Mum needed the tree to banish the Dementors to another reality, and she was willing to do anything for it to happen. Mum was utterly desperate, the days passing quickly."

"At the time, the Dementors were already growing stronger, as times weren't so peaceful anymore. They were slowly multiplying, and it was getting harder by the day to contain them. After much contemplating, Vil agreed, with her only condition being to remain anonymous to everyone else except for her, the rest of the Unspeakables included."

"Anyway, Vil gave us this."

Wendy took out a few pages from within her robes, looking at Lia with a questioning gaze.

"I'm sure you know this. It's a veela tale."

Lia's eyes widened with fear, the taste of the Veritaserum still lingering on her tongue.

_Not good. Not that tale!_

She listened to Wendy recite the familiar words of the Tale of the Golden, Silver, and Bronze Birds, silently praying to every god she knew that she wouldn't ask any questions. The topic was a goldmine of information. She schooled her face into indifference, pretending to listen without care.

.

.

.

_There once was a bird — a bird quite unique._

_It flapped feathers of silver unlike those of the others_

_One-of-a-kind with its bright, twinkling color_

_It was shunned by the rest and flew into the night_

_Until one day it vanished — no more, out of sight_

_It ventured the world to seek a companion_

_A like-colored bird who wouldn't abandon_

_The one lonely bird who chirped in the night_

_And whose long melodies were of sadness and fright_

_But one quiet day, while singing, the lonely bird_

_Was joined by another, its melodies finally heard_

_Yet sorrow filled it as their colors didn't match_

_So away the silver bird flew without getting attached_

_Yet together they travelled the world as a pair_

_And slowly but surely they weren't aware_

_That in color and fondness, they started to match_

_So they settled one day, with love, on a branch_

_Silver bore bronze, as a hatchling emerged._

_And the family spent their years in the happiness they deserved_

_Yet one day, the bronze hatchling woke with a start_

_Its parents were gone, their trails apart_

_So it flew to each of the opposite directions_

_And was heartbroken to find upon closer inspection_

_Each silver bird with another bronze hatchling in their nest_

_Lonely and abandoned, the child left with a pained chest_

_With tears overflowing, the bird returned, left alone_

_Wallowing in despair for losing its home_

_Wishing a life away from these thoughts, it was surprised:_

_Its own feathers turned golden... before its very eyes!_

_There once was a bird — a bird quite unique._

_It flapped feathers of gold unlike those of the others_

_One-of-a-kind with its bright, twinkling color_

_It was shunned by the rest and flew into the night_

_Until one day it vanished — no more, out of sight_

_It ventured the world to seek a companion_

_A like-colored bird who wouldn't abandon_

_And was quite astonished to find yet another_

_Bird with hues of gold, yet much more faded, on its feathers_

_The two lonely birds, outcasted yet together_

_Soared through the skies with an otherworldly power_

_Golden in name, they seeked and they roamed_

_Searching for a dwelling that they could call home_

Lia had expected her friend to finish here. However, Lia couldn't keep the surprise out of her face when she realized that the tale wasn't finished. She quickly schooled her expression into one of indifference, hoping Wendy didn't notice.

_Hearing whispers and news of the silvers united and together,_

_The pair followed traces, and with hope, they quickly ventured_

_Yet after much time, unable to find the other's beloved family,_

_They went back to the lake and gave up very sadly_

_Ignoring the spiteful birds, they returned inbound_

_And rested by the familiar golden lake and tree, where at the bottom they found_

_An unfamiliar treasure that seemed to be glinting_

_Yet all the other birds seemed to have been ignoring_

_The lake, with its tree, whispered and called to the birds_

_In tunes and in melodies—all their attentions were captured._

' _At the bottom of this lake, beneath its tree, lies a single treasure that grants one's wish to call or remove beings from this reality._

_Certain conditions must be met to do so:_

_First— that the 2 remaining bronze aid the Golden and Silver birds;_

_Second— that with the true Silver's union with its mate, the tree and lake be free and the treasure finally appear;_

_Third— only the Golden may recognize, retrieve and use the treasure to fulfill their most inner unconscious desires. But only the true Golden One may use it to wish freely and consciously;_

_Lastly— that the user make a sacrifice of the same weight as their act.'_

_Fearful and with no need of the treasure, the two escaped the woods_

_Quickly flew out the area with no backward looks_

_Only pondering on what could have been_

_If given the chance to grant their wishes within_

_If given the chance, the bird of faded gold would wish_

_For all the others that outcasted them to vanish_

_Yet for the once bronze bird, its wish was from its youth:_

_To reunite with its family, its silver lining and truth_

.

.

.

Wendy finished reading the tale, sighing.

Lia sat shocked, willing herself to think of all the new details that have popped up. However, only the words _'the user make a sacrifice of the same weight as their act'_ repeated endlessly in her mind. She felt herself go sick.

"So your Mum wants me to banish all of the Dementors from this reality? You need the Golden One to make a conscious decision?"

"Yes," Wendy whispered, her eyes drooping in sadness, "I— I don't know what kind of sacrifice you'll have to make to do so though."

 _Am I going to die?_ She asked herself, her insides growing cold. Her thoughts drifted to her family— the family she had grown to love yet hadn't spent much time with yet. Not even _close._ Lia's breaths grew ragged and afraid. If she weren't afraid before, she was definitely so now— her eyes closing as she thought of all the things she hadn't done yet— hadn't flown with Fleur through the skies, hadn't read stories with Hermione by the fire on a couch, hadn't met the confident Victoire, hadn't told Hugo, Dominique, or Louis about herself, and hadn't bid Rose goodbye.

She inwardly watched them fade from view as if leaving her behind; she felt a tear slip from her eyes.

It was at that exact moment that she felt so lonely, so far away from everyone she ever loved and cared for... including Wendy.

She watched a troubled Wendy lost in her own thoughts, both her best friend and a complete stranger, the blonde's shadows unclear in the moonlight.

Lia felt invisible walls closing in all around her while she helplessly gave in, feeling like she had shattered into a million pieces. But she had no more will to pick herself back up. She slumped to an overwhelming wave of exhaustion and sadness.

But Wendy didn't notice.

"Through the tale," she whispered, "we realized that we were still far from our goal. There was simply still so much left to do to activate the tree and lake."

"First, we had to find the Golden One. Afterward, we had to rejoin her parents. Third, we needed the Golden One to retrieve the treasure that was to appear at the lake."

"Vil was adamant about Laurel being the true Golden One. She explained that there were no other possible candidates. It was true; she fit the requirements the tale illustrated. She was part of the Chaves clan, a separated family from the veela flock. Hence, she was definitely an outcast. Her name also had 'Aurel' which meant golden. It was only her power that we had to confirm, but there were no other candidates anyway. Laurel has no siblings either, so we thought that maybe the tale just described other veela."

She narrowed her eyes.

"But something happened that made Mum think twice about Laurel being the Golden One."

She looked up, meeting Lia's confused eyes.

"Lia, the tree's binds— its restrictions— were weakened significantly on March 23, 2021. Hence, we were able to start calling Argenti that day. The tree worked in such a way that we couldn't really control the exact number of people we called, only if we wanted to increase or decrease the number based on the past callings. What was strange was that there were days when the tree wasn't following the pattern, specifically the first day, March 23, 2021, and last September 2, 2022. They both had magic numbers with regards to the number of Argenti called, specifically 55 and 777 cases. We didn't know what to make of that, but Mum reasoned that maybe they were connected to the Silver birds and their bond, something about it forming again. Anyway, although we weren't sure of much, we were sure of one thing."

"On those days, nothing happened with Laurel's parents, nothing to show differences in their bond or bonds with others; we made extra sure of that. And so Mum thought that maybe Laurel wasn't the Golden One. Maybe it really was someone else. Regardless, we continued the regular summoning of the Argenti while searching for any new leads."

Wendy watched Lia carefully, the latter blank and seeming to have no care anymore.

"My Mum soon gained information that a certain Lia Evernight had close to no records at the Global Tree. While other people were connected to an endless web of ancestors, yours hovered all alone as if abandoned. It was strange, so strange that Mum suspected that you were important to our task. And so after uncovering more files and information, we found out that you had no birth records, no proof that you were even born into this world. We only found adoption records, connecting you to Headmistress McGonagall."

"Mum told me to keep an eye out for you and to find out all that I could. But you were closed off; you hated being around others and mostly kept to yourself. You neither seemed the type to expose parts of yourself nor the type to make careless mistakes. Damn it, you were Lia Evernight, known to be the most aloof, most proud, and most intelligent. Everyone avoided you, and even if a few boys looked at you with admiring eyes, they were too intimidated by you. I honestly didn't know what to do. How on earth was I going to get anything out of this witch?"

Wearing a bitter smile, Wendy looked far off into the empty space before her, as if recalling a fond memory with a heavy burden in her heart. Lia remained silent.

"And so I befriended you," Wendy whispered, biting her lip as she released a shaky breath.

Lia spoke again, sobbing. "Wendy, how could you? You used me! How bad have the Dementors even gotten that you were willing to do this? How worse could it be that you're willing to let me suffer?!"

The blonde clenched her jaw, unable to form words as her lips trembled. Wendy spun around, immediately walking to Lia who trembled in her seat, noticing her wrists bleeding from resisting. The blonde clutched Lia's shoulders, then quickly embraced her as she spoke.

"The Dementors... have become close to unstoppable. They've multiplied enough to constitute a race," she said, "feeding off of the fearful climate of the world. Many horrible incidents cumulated and occurred over the years—natural calamities, virus outbreaks, terrorism attacks, and political feuds. And it wasn't just in Britain, either. It happened all around the world."

"Lia, you know I'm not lying," she croaked out, bringing her head back to try looking Lia in the eyes. "You know I'm not lying," she repeated in a whisper.

Lia defeatedly closed her eyes and shakily nodded, remembering the disastrous headlines, both muggle and magical, that plagued the papers and the world over the years. She remembered Minerva disappearing for days and weeks when these occurred.

"The Dementors became uncontrollable and due to their mutations, unkillable. Many Unspeakables dropped dead left and right. The Dementors grew into an unbelievable number, and the day finally came that they killed all of the Unspeakables that guarded the Noir."

Lia finally looked up, her eyes still somber yet with the familiar glint of curiosity hidden beneath. "What happened? Did they travel over the sea?"

Wendy shook her head, seeming to look sick as she struggled to speak.

"Wendy," Lia looked at her intently. "What happened?"

"They didn't leave," she breathed out. "They didn't leave the island. It was too far from other lands, and they'd have to cross miles and miles of water without any sort of direction. It would be too dangerous for them to do so. No, they've been concentrating their efforts on trying to get out through the only exit they know."

Lia gulped. "The Fear Room."

Wendy nodded, sighing sadly.

"As we speak, the leftover Unspeakables have been keeping the one entrance to the Noir sealed with everything they can. It's also why nobody's allowed to even come close to that floor anymore. The Unspeakables made up the excuse that it was because of how powerful the tree was in tracking the Argenti, but it was really because of how much effort they had to put in sealing the door of the Fear Room."

"It's been going on for so long, Lia, and Mum doesn't know how long they could hold out. Mum's been decreasing the number of Argenti called per day, too— because they've been adding to the fear of the people and inevitably feeding the Dementors' power and strength. Plus, we haven't been sure of who the Golden One is yet."

"We're literally... catastrophically unable to move."

Wendy shoulders slumped as she gazed sadly into Lia's eyes. Lia blankly stared back, unmoving and seemingly resigned to her fate. She unconsciously heard a soft tired whisper.

"Wendy, I don't want to die," Lia whispered weakly. "I— I care about the world, but I want to live. I want to meet my family. I want to have a chance at spending my life with them."

Wendy shut her mouth, holding back a sob. Then she shakily let out a forced breath. "I don't want you to die either.... Why did it have to be you? Why did Mum have to choose you?"

Wendy grit her teeth again, trembling as she held either side of Lia's cheeks. Lia blankly stared back.

"I've tried everything to keep you from being the Golden One. I've been feeding Mum information about Laurel— tried to make her believe that she was the Golden One. I had to convince her through how you and Laurel were acting, too. Because I knew that she had other eyes and ears around Hogwarts to report to her."

"I did everything I could," she explained exasperatedly. "Remember the time when the headmistress sent you to detention for burning Rose's bag? Laurel did that, and why? Because of me. Instead of focusing on burning my paper shreds, I was concentrating on stirring up Laurel's veela to show her powers. However, she didn't make more of a scene as I had hoped."

Lia remembered the class, with Wendy's wand sparking out red as she failed to light up her jar of paper shreds after endlessly trying to do so. She remembered Wendy muttering 'intention' endlessly, apparently trying to still spell her jar. Now, Lia concentrated on what her friend was chanting when she had started reading from her book. But no matter how much she thought, she couldn't recognize any words.

Wendy interrupted her thoughts knowingly.

"I charmed my voice, making my voice extremely low and at a certain frequency such that only Laurel's veela could hear. I also muted the air between you and me, so you wouldn't hear. I had tried agitating her veela, taunting her to show herself— prove that Laurel wasn't the weakling she was showing herself to be."

"And at the Quidditch Match, I had convinced Mum that we replace the Snitch with a wilder, faster, and harder-to-catch one, in hopes that Laurel would show her powers. I was right; she did show her powers, and even better, she showed unique powers of calling the Snitch. Things were getting better; Mum started second-guessing who exactly was the Golden One after that."

"I started slipping in potions in Laurel's food, hoping to awaken her veela. I brought her to Mum whenever I could since she was at Hogwarts, and kept leading Mum to believe that Laurel was a powerful veela; she really is. And Mum believed me, Lia. She bloody believed me, and it was just perfect."

"But you had to go around and demonstrate your powers, running around and act like this hiding fool who kept secrets, and Laurel's powers stopped showing because of how you were training her. It was bad timing; Mum had become desperate for a Golden One already, whatnot with how time was ticking. She gave me an ultimatum. She would choose at the latest by the time the Ministry officials would leave Hogwarts— after they searched for the perpetrator of the Gryffindor incidents."

"She made her choice yesterday. And she chose you."

Lia gave her a set of disbelieving eyes.

"You could have told me, Wendy! I would've helped you! And...you— you baited Laurel."

Wendy grimaced.

"No— I mean, yes, but I had to."

"So you're telling me," Lia hissed with gritted teeth, "that you tried putting the blame on Laurel, then?! You were alright with letting her go through all of this?! That's what you call a solution?!"

Wendy shook her head, taking on a defensive tone. She placed her hands up.

"Well what was I supposed to do, Lia? Do you actually want me to protect you or not because—"

"Wendy, I'm saying that why couldn't you just bloody protect the both of us—"

"Because Mum would choose one of you whether you liked it or not!" Wendy shouted, her back loudly hitting the wall behind her as she slumped down to the floor.

"I had to make a choice— and I chose to protect you. But you had to go ahead and ruin it! Now you're here because Mum decided that it was you who was the Golden One. I had the slight bit of hope that maybe— just maybe— you weren't. But fuck it, you really are the Golden One! So now I don't know what to do with this mess!"

She snapped her head with pleading eyes.

"Lia, I can't lose you. I just can't. But I don't know what to do anymore. You weren't supposed to mean anything to me. You were just supposed to be our way to save us from the Dementors. To me, you were supposed to be an assignment — a bloody person I had to watch in the case that you really were the key to solve all of our problems."

"Mum told me to befriend you and I did just that."

"I befriended you through a supposed potion gone wrong. I befriended you by thanking you endlessly for helping me. I befriended you by constantly sitting beside you at the library. I befriended you with every plastered smile, every corny joke, every push, and tickle."

"My days were filled with endlessly staying by your side. I told myself that it would all be over, and I initially thought staying with you a chore. But I was constantly surprised by how different you were from who I thought you to be."

Wendy choked, feeling her eyes well with tears. She heard a sniffle, but she didn't dare look.

"Mum told me to find out more about you. But all I found out were things she'd find useless— things that wouldn't confirm if you were actually the powerful veela we were searching. But to me, what I found out about you was worth so much more than what I was looking for."

"You were neither the snob people called you nor someone who looked down on others. You simply didn't feel like you belonged. You didn't hang out with ghosts like what the others said; you hung out with books as if they were your friends, dreaming of adventure and romance and action and everything in between. You were embarrassed by it."

"You absurdly love bread but hate eating too much. You love flying and pretend to be cool on the broom, but you actually like screaming and laughing with the feel of the wind in your hair. You enjoy gossip, no matter how much you try pretending you hate it and call it useless. You're sentimental and jot down all the things that happened to you, even in phrases. You aren't tone-deaf, but you aren't the best singer either. You like humming muggle songs under your breath— the old songs about love and family. You're probably never going to grow your hair longer than mid-length because of your love for the ponytail that only had a short bit of hair sticking out at the end. The way you really laugh is so loud that it's annoying."

She continued, sobbing between her messy mumbles and blurts.

"You—you had close to no dreams because you thought you had no future. I hated it— hated how you looked down on yourself, even if you masked your real emotions by acting like a snob. I hated how when a professor asked the class for what their dreams were and everyone expectantly waited on your answer, you turned up blank, and even said that you had no use for dreams— as if you had no need of them. You told me later on that your family was your dream, but your dreams were probably never going to come true. You smiled, thinking I probably didn't understand your cryptic words, immediately changing the topic. I hated how I had to act ignorant and pretend like I didn't know what you really meant."

"But I did, Lia."

"You joked that being a professor was just a last-resort job, but in reality, you really sincerely want to be one. Your eyes light up when reading a book, you actually do enjoy teaching step-by-step. I just hate that the idea had to come from when you taught _me_ out of all people. I hated myself endlessly."

Wendy continued, looking to her feet as she choked.

"You want to find who you really are, but you don't want to admit it. You hated how everyone seemed to have a clue of what they wanted. You hated knowing nothing about yourself—both in terms of where you came from and who you were supposed to be. You found security in the part of your identity that said you were _only_ intelligent. But Lia, you're wrong. You're bloody wrong!"

She shut her eyes, breathing erratically.

"You _are_ smart, so bloody smart all our heads put together could probably be no match for yours... You'd think the child of the Brightest Witch of Her Age would be the smartest, but no—it's _you_ Lia. And to think that everyone sees you as special because of that— they're dead wrong, you're so much more than that. You're kind and you're brave and you're thoughtful and everything I didn't expect and more—" she felt herself tremble, whimpering and sobbing. "You're... you're the best friend I wish I met under better circumstances."

She heard a few more sniffles coming from Lia's direction, then a full-on sob. Wendy was afraid to look at her friend, afraid of losing her resolve with what she would find. She was unable to help herself however, and she ended up looking back to find a broken Lia— her tears pouring down like endless waterfalls as she shook her head, as if trying to rid of them all.

"Then why would you fucking do this to me, Wendy?! Why am I here, then? If you really did care about me?!" Lia asked weakly, not caring about how desperate she looked. She couldn't keep up the angry facade any longer.

"I panicked, alright!" Wendy spat out. "She gave me a strongly charmed device that would render you unconscious for a while and immediately transport us here. I was still supposed to think about what to do before then, but you became suspicious when I slipped up earlier! I panicked, and I just used it!"

Lia shook her head. "' _The user make a sacrifice of the same weight as their wish_ '— the tale said that. You don't care about what's going to happen to me? What if I die or get sent to some other fucking reality again?!"

Wendy's eyes snapped up in recognition. Lia instantly knew she had made a mistake, her face morphing into one of fear.

"Other reality?" Wendy wiped her tears away, shaking her head confusedly. "Again?"

Wendy looked at a seemingly unperturbed Lia. But she knew the other too well, finding cracks in her friend's facade. The slight frown, the slight knitting of her brows, the slight tug of her lips inward, as if she was afraid of both being caught and saying something. Wendy sat back down and leaned forward, curious.

"What do you mean?"

 _No, no! Resist, Lia! S_ he heard her veela speak in a hushed tone as if the voice was echoing and bouncing off of marble from faraway. _Not your family!_ The voice muted to nothingness.

"Lia," Wendy repeated. Her hazy voice prodded into Lia's mind, coaxing Lia to give in. Lia closed her eyes. "What do you know?"

Lia bit her tongue, tasting blood. She wished she had taken Occlumency earlier with Minerva, but right now was too late. She couldn't hold out any longer, the effects of the Veritaserum too strong on her frail mind and her veela much too weak to resist. She released herself.

"That tale is about my family," she blurted out.

Wendy frowned, fixing her place on her chair as she watched Lia struggle internally. "Obviously it is. You're the Golden Bird after all. And apparently, you have siblings. But you don't know who they are, unless..." Her brows rose quickly as she tilted her head.

"You know who your parents are... don't you?"

"Yes." Lia mentally berated herself, but she couldn't help the words spilling from her mouth. "I only found out recently through the Room of Requirement, which is why Rose and I had to keep using it without the both of you."

"My parents are Fleur Delacour and— and Hermione Granger. They're the silver birds. I was the one bronze bird that turned golden. Rose and Victoire are the other 2 bronze birds." She heard her veela screaming from the deep recesses of her mind as she watched Wendy, rendered mute from shock.

_Mum...Maman....forgive me._

She expected an endless bout of questions thrown at her. She expected herself to break down as the entire truth spilled from her mouth. She expected a long painful talk about everything about her family. She trembled slightly in fear. But before she could even begin to open her mouth again, Lia felt the weights on her shoulders and legs released. She snapped her head in surprise. Without registering anything, she was quickly pulled and carried up on Wendy's back. Lia unsurely looked to Wendy who sported an equally unsure gaze. The blonde gulped, but took in a shaky breath, steeling her eyes as she looked to the door, furrowing her brows.

"Fuck it, you should have said that earlier. I'm getting us out of here."

"What?!"

Wendy ignored her, bringing her wand out as her hand slightly rembled. The blonde kicked the door open, then rushed to check left and right for any people. She heaved a sigh of relief when she found none.

"Good, the Unspeakables still aren't here, but they'll be here any second. They're supposed to bring you to the Ministry where Mum would meet you."

Still with a weak Lia on her back, she briskly paced away from where they came from. Lia's eyes slowly adjusted, and she realized that they came from a small cabin. Right now, they were in some sort of a forest, with the trees around them in thick groups, enough to cover almost the entire perimeter of the cabin.

"We're at the Forbidden Forest, a hidden part of it. Mum and I used to meet up here way back before for when she needed to physically talk to me." She shook her head. "Anyway, I need to get you out of here— out of Hogwarts. I'm so sorry, Lia."

"What? We can't just leave Laurel behind! She's going to be taken as the next best thing for the Golden One! And what the hell?! What's with the sudden change in plans!? Make up your damn mind!"

Wendy remained silent for a while, with only the sounds of her hurried steps resounding as her feet pounded against the ground.

"If you're Rose's sister..." she began, her face serious as she knitted her brows. "I can't hurt you."

Lia rolled her eyes out of annoyance. They were close to the edge of the forest now, the trees getting sparser and the plants less wild.

"I swear I'm not acting like some lovestruck teen, Lia," Wendy retorted, fixing her hold on the part-veela as she continued to run at a faster pace. "It's just— I'd do anything for her."

"Yeah right," Lia bit back, her strength slowly regaining. "You were willing to put Laurel—her best friend— in danger!"

Wendy winced, her run slowed down momentarily before she ran faster again.

"Laurel may be her best friend, but Rose would choose her brother over her any day, right? To Rose, her family's the most important thing in the world. I'd do anything to protect that... meaning I can't leave you in Mum's hands. I'm going to sound crazy, but with Rose... when she's hurt, I feel myself breaking, too. It's like everything I do has to consider her like I can't see anything but her. She's perfect, Lia. I'm never going to find anyone like her."

"Yes, I did follow Mum's orders to tamper with Rose and Hugo's lockets, but she was so bloody annoyed that I wanted Rose's locket to be delayed. I knew that if Rose's locket heated up as if Hugo were calling her, she would immediately get out of the room before the dormitory exploded. I really didn't want her to get hurt."

"She's everything to me, Lia. It used to be a bloody crush, but now it's like I can't live without her. Like I'd rather die than hurt her. I sound crazy, I know... but I really mean it. It scares me."

Lia groaned, pinching Wendy's ear. Wendy shut her eyes in pain.

"That's right, Griffiths. You better be scared. You bloody kidnapped me, and you're off the hook for now for bringing me back. But I'm watching you, and if you hurt my sister even once, I won't hesitate to kill you," she whispered seriously.

She heard Wendy gulp heavily.

The two remained silent for a while, only the sounds of Wendy's steps heard.

Lia sighed. "You're willing to do this even if you're Mum's going to kill you? Even if the Dementors are probably going to end up escaping the Ministry?"

"I—I just—" Wendy stammered out. "I just know that I can never hurt Rose. I'd rather get disowned from my family and let the world burn in hell than hurt her."

Lia furrowed her brows. "You sound like you're under some kind of a spell even worse than the thrall."Which makes me wonder... why were you able to resist my thrall? Have you been taking some sort of a potion? I mean, yes you were able to notice the differences in my aura and appearance, but not once did you drop dead like the other buffoons. When my veela properly awakened recently, everyone's supposed to have some sort of initially big reaction. Why didn't you react in the same way?"

Wendy raised a brow, following the now clear path in front of her.

"Because I was your best friend? Come on, even Laurel and Rose weren't affected."

"Yeah, but they're different, Wendy."

Lia shook her head. The two were now out of the forest and heading back to castle grounds.

"Rose isn't affected because she's my sister. Laurel isn't affected because she's a veela. What, don't tell me you're a veela, too?"

"No way! I'm definitely not. Mind you, I actually know who my parents are, and I would know if I'm a veela," she scoffed out.

"So why on earth are you unaffected? There are only a few reasons why people aren't affected by a veela's thrall." Lia stuck out her fingers, counting on one hand. "One is if you're a family member. Two is if you're a veela. Three is if you aren't attracted to women which definitely isn't the bloody case considering you're the biggest disaster I know!"

Lia ignored the heavy blush on Wendy's cheeks. "And there's the obvious reason of already finding your true mate in a veela, of course. But obviously you don't have a true mate. You're completely enamored by Rose after all, even worse than having the thrall, so it's impossible...."

The two stopped, now inside the castle. Lia trailed off as her words hung in the air. It was dead silent; even their breaths had stopped as Wendy froze in her tracks. The blonde gulped, cursing and whispering under her breath as she made her way to Gryffindor Tower.

"Fuck, don't tell me Rose is a veela, and I'm her mate—"

"Yes, it's most likely," Lia interrupted. "She might be weakened though because of how her Mum's veela was completely suppressed when she was born." She shook her head again, pushing Wendy forward. "But right now Wendy, we have to get to Rose and Laurel," Lia whispered. "We can talk about Rose later."

Wendy hesitantly nodded, but then started cursing again, this time a bit more loudly. She started to spiral in her own thoughts, her panicked voice echoing through the halls.

"Fuck, Rose is a veela. Fuck, she's probably my mate. I tried shifting the blame to Laurel, her best friend. You're sisters with Rose. Your parents are Fleur and Hermione. I bloody kidnapped you. Merlin, they're going to fucking kill me! How am I supposed to marry Rose?! How on earth am I going to have all of your blessings?! How are we supposed to have beautiful babies?!"

Lia pulled Wendy's hair in annoyance.

"Get babies out of your head, Griffiths! And I'll begin to even _consider_ giving you my fucking blessing if you stop panicking and just get us to the bloody tower!" Lia hissed, covering Wendy's mouth as the latter continued cursing. Then with a sudden thought, Lia pulled Wendy back and whispered.

"Shirley!"

The elf appeared, although with drooping eyes and in pajamas. She stood to attention though, her eyes widening in alarm seeing Lia's frail state and the two teenagers' panicked eyes. The elf hastily went to Lia and checked her state.

"Miss Lia, Miss Wendy, what are the two of you out of bed? Why is Miss Lia hurt?"

Lia shook her head, speaking quickly.

"No time to explain. The Unspeakables are going to realize we're gone any minute. Apparate us to Rose and Laurel then immediately apparate us out of Hogwarts— preferably a quiet area somewhere in the direction of France. Can you bring our things afterward?"

Holding back her questioning and with confused eyes, Shirley hesitantly nodded.

With a quick grab of the two teenagers, the group disapparated in a pop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> are yall still alive bc LMAO xD you can reread if it doesn't make sense (but hopefully it does) I could probably clarify things and hope there aren't any plot holes in this (literally reread this chapter for how many days so I tried). Idk I'd love to hear your thoughts on this so far because that was the biggest explosion of information I've detailed in a chapter xD
> 
> Like who do you think Vil is? What about the bond between Fleur and Hermione? (stuff like dat are things to think about LOL !)
> 
> Hope you guys have a good day -- hopefully this chapter made up for the late update xD Can't believe I reached 100k words tbh my attention span usually can't handle this much dedication to a single thing haha your reactions to the fic really motivate me I guess xD


	33. [E] Everything

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> [Explicit Chapter]
> 
> VERY important chapter (maybe for different reasons depending on you lot).
> 
> Lunch. Discussions. They do something. Something happens. A call.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I'm writing this at 1:26 am because my brain wouldn't stop going to this. Yes, it's another 9k+ words one. If you don't want to read explicit, you can read the summary down below at the notes :" Yes, I named this chapter appropriately me thinks xD

Hermione had sadly found nothing out of place at Urlea Lake. She encircled the lake numerous times and examined every nook and cranny, yet she found no clues or differences. Hence, she returned empty-handed to the Delacour house to eat lunch with the rest. As she sat beside Fleur, she watched Fleur give her a troubled smile; she raised her brows as if in question. As Hermione was about to ask what was wrong, Fleur gave her a look that subtly said _'Not now. Later, I'll talk about it._ ' Hermione narrowed her eyes in thought, then shrugged. She resumed eating.

The group conversed about more trivial things, especially with regards to how the two were settling in and how their relationship was progressing.

Fleur rolled her eyes while Hermione blushed under the stares. The latter felt Fleur hold her hand under the table and so she felt her nervousness recede. Nonetheless, they answered Apolline and Eve's incessant questioning, assuring the group of the slow but sure progress they had in their relationship. Victoire raised a brow, smug as she noticed the physical touches the two exhibited.

"That's wonderful! Both of you better be giving me another sister," Victoire exclaimed, putting down her utensils. She ignored Fleur who choked upon hearing this, giving her a hard glare. Victoire was undeterred. "Don't stop trying until I've got a sibling who's actually able to sit still."

The couple looked at each other, both holding back knowing smile, merely rolling their eyes and laughing. Little did Victoire know that she already had such a sister after all.

As the conversation went on, Fleur felt Eve give her a subtle pointed look, obviously expecting the latter to bring up what they had previously discussed about the passing of the leader position. However, she remained silent, sending a slight shake of the head to get the elder off her back. She decided that she would speak to Hermione at home first before making a rash decision, where they would be able to air their own concerns in private.

The two were soon sent off with baskets of food. "You two have been losing weight!" Apolline remarked, gently shoving bread and wine in Fleur's hands. "Have a night to yourselves," she whispered not-so-subtly to Fleur with a wiggling brow. She laughed as Fleur stoically ignored her (with reddened ears), joining Hermione as they returned to their home.

The two had changed into more comfortable clothing, with Fleur choosing to wear a sleeveless white shirt and navy blue shorts. She kept to her corner, willing herself to give Hermione some privacy as the latter finished changing. Hearing the brunette finish, she turned around and felt her jaw slightly slacken, finding Hermione dress in a fitting black spaghetti tank top and very _very_ short shorts. Not much was left to the imagination. And unfortunately for Fleur, her imagination was quite creative and wild.

She must have been staring at Hermione's toned stomach for minutes. She immediately shook her head, about to speak, when she found Hermione's darkened eyes watch her, specifically her legs. Fleur's eyes widened.

"Hermione?"

Hermione snapped her head to Fleur, blushing at being caught.

"Legs?" Hermione asked without a thought. She immediately winced and bit her tongue. "I mean yes?"

Fleur chuckled, approaching the slightly red brunette. "As much as I'd love to keep up the staring game," she remarked, slightly smirking, "I want to talk about a few things."

Fleur pulled Hermione into the living room and onto the spot on the couch beside her. Hermione sat, leaning back comfortably as she watched Fleur gather her thoughts. She carefully watched the blonde chew on her lip, the blonde's slightly narrowed eyes raking Hermione's body as she sighed.

"Is it working?" Hermione cheekily asked, brushing her leg towards Fleur's.

Fleur let out a nervous laugh, biting her inner cheek. "If you mean your clothes, then yes. You didn't have to ask. But," she said, leaning on an elbow, "talk first, kiss later."

Hermione scowled. But she immediately straightened her back and listened intently, schooling her face into a more serious one.

Fleur had revealed what she had discussed with Victoire in private, and the two had once again fired into a lengthy discussion, both taking turns in their conjectures. They had both concluded that the Unspeakables definitely had a say in all that was happening. Hermione added that when she was Minister of Magic, she had tried publicizing and making more transparent the workings of their department. However it was still difficult to get a proper hold of the Unspeakables; contrary to popular belief, their operations were not directly under the Minister position, and they largely worked independently from the rest of the Ministry.

She was in the middle of amending the laws that granted complete autonomy to the department when her personal problems had prompted her to step down from the Minister position. She had thought nothing of the issue, however, being reassured by then-head of department Cassandra Griffiths, a good friend of hers, that the group was merely still researching on the usual mysteries, only with the addition of how to stop the Argenti from appearing.

"I do trust her, Fleur," Hermione remarked. "She has the biggest sense of justice among all the people I know."

The discussion slowly tapered off, as Hermione slowly reached over and held Fleur's hand, staring into the other's smiling eyes. Fleur seemed to have a thought.

"Just curious but," she began, scratching the back of her head, "how on earth do you control your veela in times like this?"

Hermione let out an amused laugh. "In all honesty, I don't know Fleur." She played a bit with the chain of the Time-Turner around Fleur's neck, moving it across the blonde's collarbones. "It got easier over time, I think... the more I fell for you." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Sometimes though, we are in agreement— sometimes we both want to do the same thing. Just like right now, we both want to pounce you but for _very_ different reasons."

She placed a sultry undertone on _very_ , watching Fleur gulp slowly in realization.

The blonde bit her lip, watching Hermione lean over with darkened eyes. She felt the brunette tilt her head slowly, and the blonde willed herself to look away from the other. But her eyes only wandered to the flimsy thin straps of the other's tank top. Oh, how easy it would be to simply draw them down her shoulders.

Fleur shut her eyes, partly amused and partly taken aback. "Since when did you grow so confident?"

"Is that a bad thing?" Hermione asked playfully, quirking a brow. She played with a bit of Fleur's hair. "But in all honesty, I've been thinking a lot lately."

"Not really a surprise."

"I'm serious," Hermione chuckles out. Then she brought her lips to a thin line. "I realized that I shouldn't wait to get what I want."

Fleur let out a breathy laugh. "What you want, hmm?" She shook her head, sighing. "I'm sorry to keep rejecting, but I really did want to talk about something."

Hermione frowned. "What we talked about wasn't it yet then?"

"Not quite." Fleur nervously looked into Hermione's eyes. "I wanted to talk about something Eve and Maman brought up— a way to find out who the time-traveling veela is."

Fleur quickly explained the Turnover and the plan to catch the time-traveling veela during the ceremony. Hermione thought this over, nodding to herself and smiling slightly.

"Well that's great news. At least we're getting somewhere—" Hermione stopped short, noticing Fleur frown worriedly. "But why don't you look so overjoyed?"

Fleur clutched Hermione's hand tightly in response. She pursed her lips.

"Eve wants to make me her successor."

 _Oh,_ Hermione thought to herself. Hermione watched Fleur sigh deeply. The brunette held her chest, feeling something bother her deep within her chest She couldn't quite pinpoint what it was. A sense of... what was it... confliction? She furrowed her brows in confusion.

"What's so wrong with that?" Hermione asked aloud, unsure of whether she was convincing Fleur or herself. "I think you'll be a wonderful leader."

"It's not that," Fleur muttered, smiling bitterly, a layer of trivial confidence sprinkled on her words. "I'll be the best leader this clan would ever have. Leaps and bounds better than Eve, actually." She tilted her head and gave the best smirk she could muster.

"You cheeky witch," Hermione joked lightly. Then the smile was off. She didn't keep her gaze off of Fleur, softening her tone. "So what's wrong? Tell me."

Fleur shrugged. "After all of this is over, I wanted all the time in the world with you." Hermione could only listen silently. "And with Lia. And with Rose and all the other kids. Having this responsibility isn't a joke... wouldn't it lessen my time with you?"

Hermione hesitantly shook her head, feeling a sense of dread settle at the pit of her stomach. _Huh?_ "But you'll be a great leader. And I'm sure you want this, at least knowing you." Hermione felt a sense of disconnect between what was in her mind and what she was spewing out. It was evident from her confused expression.

"Are you sure?" Fleur questioned gently. "After we solve this case, there's definitely going to be a lot of loose ends to tie up. If I end up leader, I'll have to clean everything up."

Another wave of dread. Hermione frowned. _What's wrong with me? Wouldn't this be for the best?_ She felt the other watch her carefully.

"Yes, that's what... I think would be right—"

"That's what you think? Are you sure?" Fleur interrupted, looking at Hermione with slight disbelief in her eyes.

Hermione opened her mouth, then closed it again. She looked into Fleur's intent eyes, wracking her brain for some sort of a logical reason that could outweigh what she actually felt— or rather, what she didn't want to admit she felt. After all, she was supposed to be rational, considerate, and collected.

Fleur spoke again, this time a bit more gently.

"How about what you feel?"

"Fleur, what does it matter how I feel?" Hermione sighed out.

"Everything, Hermione." Hermione was slightly surprised with the amount of earnestness in Fleur's tone. "What you feel means everything to me."

She looked up, immediately getting lost in azure blue. The way the blonde looked at her made her feel... things. Things she couldn't quite explain. Like the surfacing of sensations she didn't think she'd feel after so many years. Or the unlocking bits and pieces of forgotten emotions. Things like butterflies in her stomach. Or this warm and fuzzy sensation that made her swell. Or the heat in her cheeks that burned. Or this soothing feeling of safety in the woman before her. The familiar wave of emotions threatened to overcome Hermione, and before she knew it, she was already hovering a mere few inches away from Fleur. The words spilled out before she could stop herself.

"I—I don't want you to do it," Hermione breathed out quickly, trailing off as her shoulders slumped. "I want all the time I could have with you. I'm afraid of losing you again." She spoke hurriedly, slightly embarrassed by her words. "I'm being stupid and irrational and selfish... but I want to spend every second after this with you."

Hermione narrowed her eyes, her tone going lower.

"I want you all to myself."

Fleur's breath hitched, her cheeks slightly red.

"Alright, I won't," the blonde whispered. "I'll reject it." Hermione's eyes darted to every part of Fleur's perfect face, and she blinked rapidly, realizing that she was only a push away from Fleur's lips.

Hermione's brain had fizzled out, and it was one of those moments where the gears in her head had completely stopped turning. Her breath caught.

Then she felt strong yet delicate arms encircle her neck, pulling her forward as Hermione felt soft lips press into her own. Hermione's eyes widened slightly in surprise, then she immediately closed them, tilting her head as she deepened the kiss.

The kiss was gentle at first, then Hermione went impatient.

It was as if a voice in her head told her to go further. She had thought it was some foreign voice, maybe her veela. But no, her veela was thrashing like a loud siren blaring in her head. Hermione ignored this. Instead, she focused on the pushing voice— her own voice that echoed throughout her mind. _More,_ Hermione heard. _More._

Hermione's tongue urgently entered Fleur's mouth, feeling herself heat up as she heard the blonde moan into her. The brunette crept to Fleur, swinging her leg to the other side as she settled on Fleur's lap and placed her hands on either side of Fleur's neck. Hermione felt like dozens of fireworks had exploded in her mind, and each suck, tremble, and gasp sent a jolt of electricity through her veins. _Maddening,_ Hermione thought, her hands, wandering down to the hem of Fleur's shirt. _She can drive me crazy with just a bit of this_. She teased at the ends, encouraged by the blonde holding back a smirk, the latter wrapped around the brunette's waist pulling Hermione forward.

"Fleur," Hermione mumbled, pulling herself closer, her body now flush against Fleur's. She could feel the blonde's racing heartbeat as she slipped under the blonde's shirt slowly— just enough to get the message across. She parted momentarily for breath. "Fleur, please."

"'Ermione," Fleur whispered, panting. She cupped Hermione's cheek, her other hand hesitantly holding Hermione's wandering ones at the hems of her shirt. "I don't want to pressure you into anything. We don't have to go any further."

Hermione shook her head. "I want this."

"'Ermione," Fleur croaked out. "We don't need to—"

"Fleur, stop dictating what I want and don't want!" Hermione interrupted, trembling. Fleur's eyes widened in surprise as Hermione took in a shaky breath.

"I love you, Fleur," she whispered, gazing desperately at the blonde who was taken aback. "There I said it." Hermione turned her head, shaking as she held back a sob. "I'm hopelessly irrevocably... constantly in love with you. You said what I feel means everything, and I feel the same. You're everything to me, Fleur, and," she felt a tear slip down her cheek, "it scares me because I can't imagine life without you anymore. It scares me that I'm so attached, so overwhelmed, so so happy being with you— to the point that if you're gone, I know I'm going to break. Just thinking of being separated from you makes me feel so empty inside— more than this bloody veela that's threatening to tear me open inside and out."

Fleur clutched Hermione's trembling hands as the brunette shut her eyes tightly. She slowly looked up to find Fleur's slightly shocked eyes, her voice dropping even more. "You don't know how much I need you, and I'm so bloody afraid you're going to leave me again, and I won't know what to do. I don't want to lose you—"

"'Ermione," Fleur interrupted, furrowing her brows. "I'm not leaving you." She softened her tone. "I'm never leaving you again. I promise you I'm not. If you feel that way, what more me? What more me who's longed for you for so long and loved you all my life?"

"Then show me."

Fleur gulped.

"I don't need sugary words," Hermione breathed out. She took Fleur's hand and brought it to her own stomach. Then she leaned to Fleur's left, the blonde shuddering as she felt Hermione's lips graze her sensitive ear. "Prove it, Fleur."

Fleur inhaled sharply, her emotions threatening to bubble over as she watched Hermione pull back slightly with darkened eyes. The blonde's hands moving to Hermione's hips, gripping either side tightly.

"If we start, I won't be able to hold back," Fleur said, already feeling her veela awaken from within her, goading her on.

With a quick smug whisper, 'good,' Hermione crashed her lips into Fleur's, their tongues quickly fighting for dominance. The brunette bit on the other's bottom lip; both of them moaned. The heat spiked up quickly, with Fleur's hands pressed into the other's stomach.

They parted for breath again, and Fleur felt a jolt of arousal course through her, seeing the slightly glazed look in Hermione's eyes. Her lips moved to the brunette's neck, encouraged by the breathy mumbles of the other.

Fleur didn't quite know where to put her hands, still a bit hesitant, but her blank thoughts were cut short by the feel of the other's hands leading her up. She gasped when she ended on Hermione's chest, a familiar softness against her hands.

 _Merde,_ Fleur— or her veela— whoever it was— screamed inside.

She pulled back to get a look at Hermione, biting her lip as the brunette circled Fleur's hands around her chest. Heated desire pooled again at her stomach, Fleur's mind going hazy as she felt Hermione's body press into her. She stared dumbly as Hermione impatiently took her hands off, words of protest about to spill from her mouth; she stopped short, watching Hermione nimbly pull her tank top over her head.

Hermione's upper half was soon only clothed in lacy black lingerie again. _Fucking lingerie_ , Fleur absentmindedly thought, rolling her thumbs over the area above the other's nipples; Hermione's breath hitched. The brunette's hands fell limply at her sides. Another roll and she let out a high-pitched airy cry, sending a spike of arousal straight to Fleur's core. Fleur whimpered.

"Fuck." Fleur didn't know if it was her or Hermione who spoke. But she didn't bother, watching Hermione half close her eyes as her breaths quickened. A particularly sensitive touch; Hermione rolled her hips into Fleur, moaning louder. Hermione opened her eyes, a look of unadulterated lust on her own face.

"Bed. Now."

Fleur's eyes fluttered slightly, hearing this tone of the other which she never thought she'd hear again— partly demanding, a bit strangled, and much deeper. With a growl, the blonde quickly placed her hands under Hermione's thighs, pushing them up. The brunette let out a squeak, allowing herself be raised as her hands flew to Fleur's neck. Hermione laughed amusedly.

Fleur brought the two back to their room, gently pushing Hermione down on her bed. They didn't spare even a second to breathe— their lips meeting in a hot frantic mess. Hermione's hands worked quickly, untangling Fleur's bun then going for the hem of the other's shirt, wandering up to the other's chest; Fleur swallowed, taking in a quick breath and tugging on the other's hair.

"Off," Hermione growled into the kiss, tugging Fleur's shirt up. Fleur complied, then smirked as she took off her shirt slowly— _excruciatingly_ slowly, enjoying Hermione's attentive yet slightly irritated eyes rake every inch of her body. The brunette let out a low hum of satisfaction, then Fleur let out a small squeak as the other's hands gripped Fleur again. This time, she flipped themselves over. Hermione gave a smug smile while Fleur raised a brow in confusion. Then she realized that Hermione had no shorts on, racy lace being the only thing left on her body.

Fleur's breath caught. "When did you—"

She was cut off by another needy kiss, reveling in the taste as Hermione clutched her back firmly. She could almost see stars, her ears starting to ring as she felt Hermione slide between her legs. Fleur cried at the sudden feeling of Hermione kissing down her neck and sucking on a pulse point. The sounds of breaths coming up short filled the room as Hermione tugged the other's hair forward.

Then Hermione trailed her lips up to her ears, and Fleur couldn't take it. The noise was everything. Each pant and breath and shudder felt like a push closer to a faded white ecstasy— like each thread of sanity Fleur had was one by one being cut. She didn't even register Hermione frantically reaching behind her, unclipping her bra and throwing it to the side. She enjoyed Fleur's darkened rapt attention, her jaw slackened and eyes unfocused.

Fleur didn't say a word, close to diving in and stroking her thumb over Hermione's left nipple as she sucked the other. The brunette threw her head back, her moans increasing in volume with each roll and pinch and suck.

"You like this?" Fleur asked smugly, her tongue rolling around the hardened nipple in front of her.

Fleur was unable to keep in another gasp as she felt Hermione roll into her again, another shudder going down her body; she jerked her hips up in response, eliciting another moan from the brunette. Fleur felt her lower belly ache, threatening to collapse as Hermione placed her hands on top of Fleur's and leading her to her own black underwear.

_Oh._

Fleur's mind went completely blank, feeling the pool of wetness seeping through the underwear.

"Fleur, _please._ " Hermione whined, her voice slightly gravelly, and her eyes fluttering and needy. Fleur groaned as the other leaned in and bit her ear, moaning as she whispered lowly. "Fuck me right now."

Fleur's last bit of rationality went out the window.

Clothes started flying left and right amidst wet kisses and urgent touches. She turned them around again as she dragged down Hermione's underwear, already smelling the brunette's arousal. Slowly, she dragged her fingers against the wet folds, circling the opening as Hermione whined. Her mouth still on the other's breasts, she stroked the other's clit torturously slowly, teasing and not giving enough of the friction the brunette wanted. Hermione groaned in displeasure.

"Fleur...uhn... _Fleur._...stop teasing m— _ohhhh_ "

Hermione gasped, her face contorting in pleasure as Fleur's finger went inside her, her palm rubbing against her clit. She quivered, instinctively grinding into Fleur's hand, her hands gripping the sheets on either side of her. Fleur pulled her face back to get a glimpse of the hot and bothered brunette, her own lungs starting to fail as she watched Hermione's face shift into various states of ecstasy the more Fleur picked up the pace. She felt Hermione's walls tighten around her as the brunette met each thrust with an aggressive jerk of her hips, her eyes rolling to the back of her head.

 _How long has it been seeing this Hermione?_ Fleur thought to herself, watching Hermione bounce and shake and cry with her hair splayed out messily around her. She chanted Fleur's name like a prayer, and Fleur felt herself become even more turned on, a guttural groan escaping her lips. She added another finger into the mix. Hermione shook, crying out.

"Oh my _God,_ Fleur!"

Hermione became a bumbling mess as Fleur started curling her fingers, the brunette's words coming out more as incoherent cries of Fleur's name amongst crude expletives. Hermione gasped, feeling Fleur's tongue go in her, her hands tightening further into the sheets as she turned her head to the scene below her. She felt herself coil further. Fleur's head was between her legs, the sight enough to push her closer to the edge, watching Fleur's lustful eyes boring into hers as her tongue explored her. It was _everything_ she dreamed of these past few nights and so much more.

Hermione brought her head back to face the ceiling, shutting her eyes as she needed more. _More. More. More._

The blonde's eyes widened as Hermione's hands wandered to her own breasts, cupping, kneading... touching herself, sweat all around her body for _her. All for me,_ Fleur thought, groaning and fucking Hermione harder and faster, _harder and faster_. "Yes... _yes,_ Fleur!" Hermione screamed, bucking her hips up and up. "Fuck me faster!" The noises— both from Hermione and Fleur—became erratic as Fleur complied, Hermione letting out animalistic noises as she felt Fleur viciously hit her g-spot repeatedly. Fleur groaned as Hermione pulsated around her fingers. "Fleur... Ahhh— _ahhh—_ " Soon, the tension Fleur felt told her that Hermione was close... _really_ close. The trembles radiated throughout her body like uncontrollable waves.

"I—" Hermione choked out as she shut her eyes, her entire body trembling from keeping herself from coming undone. Fleur's hot breaths against her didn't help. Fleur kissed her inner thigh, her eyes hazy. "Come for me," she whispered, giving Hermione one last hard thrust that seemed to have done the job.

Whether or not Hermione heard her, Fleur watched Hermione gasp and arch up rigidly. She uncoiled and came undone, her mouth wide open as her vision went white... then silver, all while roaring Fleur's name into the aether. Hermione stared wide-eyed at the ceiling, her head swarming in haziness, unprepared for the onslaught of memories that interrupted her. Her breath caught as these invaded her, everything around her muting to nothingness.

She felt like she was pulled in every direction, her thoughts going to all the lives before.

.

.

.

.

.

_Waking up beside Fleur in the morning. She fixes your bushy hair, cupping your cheek with a loving gaze. "Stay here while I make the crepes," she whispered. You groan, pouting. "I still can't believe you got better than me... a bloody muggle... at cooking!"_

_"The student will undoubtedly become better than the teacher, mon coeur. Now you'll have to wait a bit when I cook for the rest of our days." She laughs, sitting up with a grin. "I've decided to stick to muggle cooking for life."_

.

.

_Our smiling faces in the mirror of Erised. A much older Fleur stands behind you with her arms wrapped around your waist. You morph into an older Hermione, with exactly the same bushy hair and content smile as Fleur nuzzles into your neck. Turning from the mirror, you keep a grin to yourself, returning to your seat. You nonchalantly fix a stack of parchments and grab a quill, beginning to write._

_Fleur approaches and sits beside you, sporting the happiest smile you've ever seen. "I'm guessing we saw the same thing, non?"_

_You shrug, hiding a chuckle as Fleur pouts. "Who knows?"_

_"Please?"_

_You shrug again, smiling._

_"What did you see in the mirror, 'Ermione?" The Beauxbatons student lops her arm around yours, taking one of your parchments._

_"For the last time, Fleur, I'm not telling you."_

_The foreign student crosses her arms, and cheekily says, "Come on, I won't be able to sleep tonight if you don't tell me."_

_You sigh then chuckle, unable to hide a grin. "I think you have a good idea of what I saw, Fleur, you blasted veela!"_

.

.

_Reading together at the library, your fingers entwined across the table. You stop working on your parchment, noticing the veela language on the book Fleur was reading from. You tug her gently. She raises a brow. You hesitate, shyly motioning to the book. "Teach me? I want to be a good mate." She moves her seat beside you. Then with a smile, she kisses your cheek._

_"How did I get so lucky?" She wonders aloud. Then she gives an earnest smile, one that takes you aback. "But in all honesty, you don't need to learn anything, 'Ermione."_

_You try to keep a blush down. She looks at you with an intensity that makes you struggle. You fail completely when she whispers._

_"You're perfect."_

.

.

_Fleur's face is much too panicked for your sanity; she drives the car religiously at the speed limit. You don't know whether to be impressed or baffled. Either way, you close your eyes as seeping fear courses through you. Although she had only recently gotten her license, you feel as though all the basics flew out her head and out the car window._

_"Merde!" Fleur curses, sharply turning the car to the right and narrowly missing an incoming vehicle. She heaves a sigh of relief, looking at the rearview mirror, then looking back forward; her eyes fly open as she swerves to the left, almost hitting a bystander on the sidewalk._

_"Merde, why do the British have to be so near the road?!"_

_"And why do you have to take your eyes off the road for so long?!" You retort back, shutting your eyes once more as your hear Fleur curse in a series of French expletives._

_You close your eyes close to the entire trip, actually thinking you're going to die as you clutch either side of the seat. But after a few more horrid turns, you feel yourself relax as the car stops, Fleur safely pulling up to a parking slot. You turn to find a horrified Fleur, her hands trembling, hovering above the steering wheel as she looks at you._

_You let out a breath you didn't realize you were holding, immediately smothering her in kisses. As you pull back, you find her smiling for the first time the entire trip._

_"I'm driving next time," you say. She hums in agreement, attempting to pull you into another kiss but the seatbelt stops you. She grumbles, trying but failing to remove both of your seatbelts. You laugh, watching the poor veela almost spell the seatbelts on fire out of raw frustration. She puts her hands up, her eyes glinting silver._

_"Merde, these contraptions! Why must muggle cars hate me?!"_

.

.

_Wrapped in a blanket while watching Les Miserables. You gently stroke Fleur's back as she cries to the final scenes. You stare at Fleur, being in her house clothing and without make-up on, bawling her eyes out in an ugly cry. The final song mutes to nothingness, but you don't register it; all you could think of is that even in such a state, you still find Fleur to be the most beautiful woman you've ever laid eyes on. And even after how many years of being together, you're still the luckiest woman alive._

_You don't realize that the credits are already rolling. Fleur wipes her eyes._

_"I still liked the book better," Fleur whispers. "But I have to admit... that was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen."_

_You don't hear her words, still staring and smiling contentedly. She faces you confusedly as you speak without a second thought._

_"Definitely."_

.

.

_Lying by a small lake and watching the stars. You both had stumbled upon the lake after exploring the grounds beyond the veela areas, both of you drawn to it because of how it was filled with golden daffodils. Its waters also glittered and shone in an ethereal glow._

_The small spot was like a private hideaway where you both enjoyed the sounds of nature around you. Its clearing was the perfect spot to watch the stars— also known as Fleur's perfect excuse of teaching you about the constellations... basically, Divination things that you used to have no care of._

_"I can't believe I'm actually listening to these things," you ponder aloud. Fleur laughs, hearing you say the same line for the tenth time; you've been saying it every single time you've gone here._

_"'But you enjoy it, non?"_

_"I don't deny it," you whisper. You turn to Fleur beside you; her face is focused on the stars above, and her eyes twinkle with a serene joy as she turns to you. Your hand finds hers between you, fitting perfectly as if made for one another. You enjoy every passing second in this ephemeral moment. "This has become our special spot, after all," you say feeling a tear escape your eyes._

_The place still serves as your special spot even in the future, especially when your soft tears turn into the biggest sob of your life years after— when Fleur proposes to you at the very same spot._

.

.

_Slow dancing to a French tune in the living room. She elegantly leads you as you stumble, still trying to learn this veela dance she's been trying to teach you for weeks. You grow anxious, frowning as you miss a step again; the days to your wedding creep closer and closer, yet you still can't get the hang of this dance needed for the ceremony._

_'Will I make it in time?' you anxiously think. Seeming to hear your thoughts, Fleur gives you a patient smile, once more patiently guiding you through the motions. After a few minutes, you still miss the turns. You sigh in frustration. She stops to cup your face._

_"Don't worry, mon coeur, we're almost there."_

_You sigh, extracting yourself from Fleur and getting a glass of water. You drink it in a few gulps, then speak in a rush. "I'm just so worried. I'm going to marry the heir to the Delacour clan in a few weeks for Merlin's sake, and I can't seem to master this one dance! I don't," you hesitate, shaking your head, "I don't want to make a fool out of you."_

_"Don't say such things. You'll never make a fool out of me, even if you end up messing up the entire ceremony." She laughs at your shocked expression. "You're Hermione Granger, war hero, Brightest Witch of Her Age, rising Ministry official, and most importantly..." she kisses your knuckles, "the love of my life."_

_You feel your cheeks heat slightly, then grumble to yourself. With a sudden thought, Fleur goes back to the speakers and changes the song, your ears perking up to a familiar muggle tune. She pulls you to the space and leads you again. This time, you look at Fleur disbelievingly as your feet move to the familiar beat. She laughs— that blasted laugh that sends your heart soaring._

_"See," Fleur whispers, pecking your lips and pushing strands of stray hair out of your face. "I knew you could do it. Now, you can dance."_

_And you do dance. Even days and months and weeks after the wedding. Almost every night without fail. With Fleur... always with Fleur._

.

.

_Whispers in the late night fill the room. You both couldn't sleep, and so as usual, you take out an old notebook, the very same one Fleur used the first time she met you in your vacation to France... only now you've spelled it to become neverending. You flip through alternating pages depicting Fleur's sketches of yourself growing up, along with notes in your handwriting of varying ideas— dreams and names and diary entries and goals. There was no such pattern to what they wrote._

_"So what will it be for today?" You ask, finding Fleur's eyes alight as she pondered, leaning on an elbow as she watches you write on a page._

_"Hmm," Fleur hums, flipping backwards to pages from months ago, "we've written close to a hundred names for our future kids, but," she chuckles, looking at the endless list on one of the pages, "we still haven't narrowed them down. Especially the girl ones."_

_"Well, we'll need to systematically narrow them down," you say, crossing off Felicia and Bonnie off the list with a click of your tongue. "We can do that now if you'd like?"_

_Fleur groans, already thinking of the tiresome task at hand. "Why don't we just choose one name each? Then let's go from there?"_

_You roll your eyes, but seeing Fleur's pleading face, smile. "Fine," you concede, "let's leave the future names of our children to instinct!" You say sarcastically, but Fleur's already looking through the names. You sigh, both of you looking through the list. After a few moments, you speak on gut feel. Your veela purrs in agreement._

_"How about—"_

_"I choose—"_

_"Aurelia," you both finish._

_Both of you look wide-eyed at each other, her with a grin and you with pure disbelief. Then you both burst into laughter. Fleur close to grabs the notebook from your hands, excitedly grabbing a pen and encircling the name on the list._

_"How did you choose that?" You curiously ask. She raises her head thoughtfully. "I asked myself what I would name my little girl after... I would only name her after something that I love so much. The only thing I could think of was you." She chuckles, looking fondly at me, sending butterflies in your stomach. "Well, you're called the Golden Girl, and so I thought... why not name her Aurelia? It means golden after all," she explains. After a few moments, she asks. "How about you?"_

_"Must you always be so poetic? " You mutter with a pout. "My reason pales in comparison to yours now." You gently lean your head on her shoulder, watching her start a new page, scribbling down all your names on a family tree. "For me, I thought about how we both adore golden daffodils. It just felt right."_

_She gives a knowing smile, pulling back and rubbing her nose with yours._

_"Then we'll need to have a field full of them for little Aurelia to run in, oui?"_

.

.

_Tending to the flowers in the field. The golden daffodils have fully grown and almost completely populated the field. Apolline suggested that you add a few other flower varieties. "Even the child's special flower populates your fields! She will be too full of herself with such doting parents! " She joked._

_You're now tending to the young roses you've planted from a few weeks back. Fleur plants a few Dahlias on a nearby patch, her hat covering her face as the sun shines on her blonde hair. She seems to be like an angel, you think— an angel that doesn't seem to age at all. 'She's a goddess,' you think._

_You stare, overwatering your roses. Fleur's amused laugh fills you with contentment._

.

.

_Singing lullabies together in the dark. A small tired Lia sings along, holding your hand at the edge of the bed. "Sho—" Lia yawns, holding her mouth, "—shing to me the shongs of dahwn..." She doesn't finish, closing her eyes and falling asleep. You tuck her in gently, pulling her blanket up as you ruffle her brown hair. She has your messy locks, but she got Fleur's azure eyes. You kiss her forehead with a fond smile, standing up and turning to find Fleur watching silently from the door. Her arms are crossed over her chest, a feigned expression of annoyance on her face. But underneath, you find an amused look._

_"I thought it was my turn tonight?"_

_You smirk, taking Fleur's hand and mischievously pulling her to your bedroom._

_"Well, it's your turn now."_

.

.

_Laughing with our foreheads pressed together... up in the sky that is._

_"Merlin, I'm flying!" You shout, "I'm really flying! And not on a broom at that!" Then your eyes widen as you wobble in the air. Fleur immediately flies towards you and grabs your arms. She holds you up as she chuckles. You nervously smile back._

_It's your first time properly flying. Fleur finally convinced you to do it— after months of arguing over whether or not it was actually different from flying on a broom. "It's different, Hermione," she reasoned._

_She was right about that; it felt a hundred times more terrifying._

_You're both up in the sky now, your wings flapping hard as you struggle to avoid looking down on the veela lands way below the both of you. She delicately leads your chin to face her._

_"Here, focus on me," she says, her strong yet gentle arms holding you up, her eyes glinting in silver. "One step at a time."_

_You breathe a sigh of relief, nodding. Slowly, she lets you go as you flap your wings, placing your hands on either side to balance steadily. She never lets her eyes off you, then her face slowly splits into a grin as you fly around freely._

_She was right about it being different; you feel freer than ever before._

.

.

_Lia starts to forget trivial things at first._

_She forgets we have roses in our field. Then dahlias. Then daffodils. Flowers turn to birthdays. Then to Shirley's name. You feel your heart shatter the more she struggles, crying as she holds her head trying to remember all these things she treasured._

_The day finally comes when she forgets your name. You cry yourself to sleep beside her as she slept, Fleur painfully watching at the side. Your heart wrenches in fear and determination and dread. 'Not again. Not that again...'_

_But your feet lead you back to the hidden Time-Turner in the charmed box under your bed. And as you raise it up, Fleur gasps behind you in horror._

_"Already, 'Ermione?"_

_You don't dare look back, already hearing Fleur sob to herself. You only nod grimly._

.

.

_You decide to run away tonight. You leave Lia in Shirley's hands after a day filled with everything your daughter loves— you both wanted to make her happy, even for one last time._

_One last time._

_One last time before you leave her._

_One last time before she inevitably fades and disappears like the rest of the veela._

_One last time before you and Fleur go back into the hell you both desperately wanted to avoid._

_One last time to treasure and lock away in the depths of your happiest memories._

_And so you run away, both of your hands together, panting— run away from the simple yet happy life you both lived and loved._

_You hold back tears as you pull Fleur to the Circle of Avelin, your thoughts still lingering on Lia sleeping soundly at home. You end up at the center of the circle as Fleur hesitantly places the Time-Turner around both of your necks, almost like an age-old routine close to forgotten. She looks at you with fearful eyes. There's something else there— sadness? You shake your head, smiling bitterly. She must be afraid. You are too. You begin the magic, blinding light encircling us as our pained cries resounded; the magic envelops you._

_Then you hear shouting, hysterical screaming that pounds in your ears. Your eyes shoot open. It's Fleur. Her eyes are filled with fear and panic; you turn to where she's pointing— behind you close to the edge of the circle. Your eyes widen in horror finding Lia crawling towards you, crying out in pain._

_"Lia, Lia no!" You shout at the top of your lungs. The pain multiplies exponentially, wracking both your body and heart as you watch your daughter disappear with the blinding light._

_The next thing you know, you open your eyes to an only slightly familiar scenery. You can't even begin to register your surroundings— your heart still heavy as you drop down heavily on your knees. "Lia..." you mutter, tears pooling in your eyes. "No," you whisper as you shake your head. Then you hear voices._

_"Hermione, are you alright? Are you feeling sick?" Hands pat your shoulders as you hear the familiar voices of your parents. Wait._

_You whip your head to find your parents' concerned faces look at you. Your head turns, the blurred surroundings shaping and forming... France?_

' _This... this isn't Britain,' you and your veela think. Your head whips around to find your dad crouched beside you, looking at a paper that seemed to look like an itinerary. Your mom still continues to check on your state. Your troubled eyes dart around in realization. 'I'm—' You think to yourself. 'I'm back to when we had our vacation in France. In Dijon!"_

_"Wha—" You ask aloud, perplexed as you're supposed to be at an apartment in Britain, at your old home with Fleur. Your eyes widen in fear. 'Fleur's supposed to be beside me— Fleur! Where is she?'_

_"Fleur?!" You ask to nobody in particular. Your parents look at you worriedly, but you ignore them, going into the throng of tourists and making your way to every corner you could find. You hit a few people, angry looks sent your way, but you don't care. 'Where are you, Fleur? What happened? Why are we here? Did you arrive safely?' Your thoughts spiral into panic, then you stop, finding familiar platinum blonde on the other side of the crowd. You hold your breath; she turns._

_It's Fleur._

You _breathe out a sigh of relief, staring at Fleur whose eyes find you with a bittersweet smile. She's still as beautiful as ever, albeit much younger than the Fleur you know, under the sun's rays and among the crowd of tourists. You slowly walk to her, unable to keep the pained look in your expression— everything seems to crash down and overflow, drowning your mind as you stumble— Lia's death, the fear of what tomorrow would bring, having to do everything again, another cycle, another life._

_Yes, you'd go through this hell again. It would probably be a curse that would haunt you all your life— and lives._

_Then you smile bitterly, looking at the woman before you— the woman who's been through life and death with you, who's lived through every marriage vow more than thrice over, who you love 'till no end that it scares you, whose dreams and goals you shared with— until she herself became your new dream._

_And just the thought of this certain Veela being by your side the entire way lifts the burden at least a little bit; you smile slightly and walk a bit faster towards her. You call out to her again, waving a bit as you break out into a run. You're willing to go through hell again, if it meant having heaven by your side every step of the way._

_At least you'll always have Fleur._

_Always._

.

.

.

.

.

.

"'Ermione?" Hermione heard a distant voice call out to her, bringing her back to reality. She felt an aching pain at her back as her eyes fluttered open, finding an extremely worried Fleur cupping her face from either side.

"'Ermione, your wings," she said with alarm, "your veela. Are you alri—"

Hermione's hoarse whisper interrupted her.

"Her name means golden."

Fleur raised a brow, her hands still checking Hermione's forehead and neck as she stopped confusedly.

"Because you named her after me," Hermione said a little louder, her throat choking as tears welled in her eyes. "And I named her after the daffodils we loved so much." She sat up, facing Fleur who was still rendered speechless.

"Fleur, you proposed to me at the lake surrounded by golden daffodils. That night went so horribly out of your plans— the picnic cloth ripped into two, the air ice cold, and the ring flying into the lake," she said, shaking. She bit her lip. "You kept apologizing, thinking I was crying because you messed up. But really, it was so bloody perfect. It was one of the happiest days of my life."

"You taught me about the stars and how to fly. And I taught you how to cook and drive," she sniffled, her voice shaking as she felt herself fill with close to every emotion. Her veela didn't seem angry anymore— didn't seem so aggressive or intent at attacking Fleur. Instead, her veela was reveling in every memory that seemed to enter her mind in that split second.

"I remember, Fleur!" She choked out. "I remember how we danced at the Yule Ball like there was no tomorrow. I remember being caught by Madame Maxime snogging at the carriage close to every night that we had to transfer to the bloody library. After the tournament, I remember you sending howlers to every suitor that tried to court me."

"I remember how in our first life, I always stayed as the head of my current department. And you always wanted to be a Curse Breaker. People at the Ministry called for me ahead of time when you were at the lobby." Hermione let out an amused laugh as Fleur closed her eyes. "Every time I saw you, it was like falling in love for the first time all over again. You always had flowers or chocolates or books. But on most days, it was all of them. "

"We had a notebook filled with our dreams and hopes and— and your sketches of me over the years. You ripped out the original first pages, so that the first page was from when you drew me on one of our days in France. We'd write there when we couldn't sleep." Fleur's eyes watered, a tear slipping down her cheek as her lips trembled. Hermione continued, blinking quickly and her voice weakening. "It was through that that we decided on Lia's name. We wanted 2 kids— 2 girls. You said that if we ended up having a boy, you'd probably put him in a dress. Or at least give him a girlish name."

Hermione's voice trembled again, feeling Fleur's hands atop hers.

"I remember you holding my hand while I gave birth to Lia. You looked so afraid of losing me when I close to passed out. But you stayed the entire time."

"I remember loving you close to every second of my life after meeting you. And I felt so loved by everything you did... even when you left me," she choked out. "You loved me with every fiber of your being, every laugh, every cry, every tear, and every word. Even when we fought, I loved you. When we failed each lifetime, I loved you. When we danced, I loved you." Hermione felt like she was going crazy, sobbing between phrases. She laughed with tears in her eyes. "When I burned the kitchen, I loved you. When you drew me, I loved you. When I dreamed, I loved you."

"I love you, Fleur," she whispered. Her vision grew blurred by her tears; she blinked them away, shaking her head. She had never been more sure of anything in her life. She repeated her words like a mantra. "I love you."

"I remember everything, Fleur. Every single bloody thi—"

She was cut off by the sealing of her lips by Fleur's own, feeling wet tears cover her own cheeks. Whether it be from Fleur's eyes or her own, she didn't know; she didn't care. All Hermione knew was that she felt a surge of happiness and warmth bloom from within her. Like everything finally made sense— like everything was falling into place. Every memory fit her like a jigsaw puzzle, and the one thing she never knew she wanted— she needed was right here in front of her; it was Fleur.

Always has been Fleur.

Fleur parted for breath, still trembling as she looked at Hermione disbelievingly.

"It— it really is you," Fleur whispered, looking at every part of Hermione's face with a tender gaze. "I love you, 'Ermione... I love you."

"It's good to be back," Hermione whispered, pecking Fleur's tears away then kissing her slowly. This kiss felt so different; it was warm, yes. But it was like life itself was seeping into her, like she had no burdens left on her shoulders. Parting, she pressed her forehead into Fleur's, both of them smiling as they looked into each other's eyes.

Fleur chuckled weakly. "You haven't changed."

"Hmm?" Hermione hummed, stroking the other's cheek. Fleur shook her head, chuckling as she lay down beside the other.

"You're still so noisy from start to end. Who knew your bed habits would follow you into your next realities?"

The brunette raised a brow, turning and climbing atop the wide-eyed blonde who laughed without a care.

"Who said we were finished?" Hermione breathed out, smirking.

* * *

The two had gone on for hours and hours in bed, savoring every lost moment in every way they could. The silencing charms had to be tripled both in terms of reducing the intensity of sound and prolonging the charm; the two had been at it for close to 8 hours after all.

Now, Fleur was fast asleep. Meanwhile, Hermione lay in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling above her. She tossed and turned again, feeling sweat trickle down her brows. She couldn't get the sense of dread that settled in her stomach, and her mind wouldn't shut off, no matter how much she willed it to stay silent. It had probably been more than 2 hours of merely trying to sleep. The sounds of the ticking of the clock seemed to splice through the air into her ears.

She abruptly sat up, abandoning a sleeping Fleur's embrace. Her companion stirred at the sudden movement, her weary voice interrupting the silence.

"Hermione, are you alright?"

The brunette shook her head, clutching her chest and feeling her erratically racing heartbeat. Why couldn't she calm down?

"Hermione?"

"I— I can't calm down."

She felt soothing motions on her back. Fleur sat up beside her. Her worried eyes looked over Hermione's troubled face.

"Nightmares?" The blonde asked.

Hermione shook her head, heaving a large breath.

"I haven't slept a wink," she said. "Something's wrong, Fleur. I don't know what."

Fleur furrowed her brows, then delicately brought Hermione into her arms.

"Did we go overboard?" Fleur hesitantly asked, the blonde's hand already on Hermione's forehead. "Is it still the veela?"

Hermione looked to Fleur's face of concern. She smiled slightly, shaking her head.

"No, no it's not that. I'm alright. The veela is perfect. We definitely did not go overboard," she reassured, giving Fleur a slight smile. Then she sighed. "I wish we could check on the kids. I'm absurdly worried."

Fleur tilted her head, fixing Hermione's hair as she tucked a bit of the wild strays of hair that covered her face behind her ears.

"I wish we could," she whispered. "But they've left the Room of Requirement already. After all, class starts again tomorrow."

The two were interrupted by the sudden blazing of the fireplace to life, except on the other end was an individual they didn't expect. Fleur scrambled out of bed, putting on a nightgown, and then approached the fireplace.

"Minerva?"

The headmistress had obviously just woken up judging from her slightly bleary yet alert eyes. She seemed heavily disturbed, donning her nightwear while a piece of parchment was firmly clutched in her hand. Hermione soon joined Fleur's side.

"Fleur, Hermione. I'm sorry to disturb you and call directly here." She raised the parchment. "Lia sent this to me through Shirley."

Hermione quirked a brow. "Sent? Minerva, what do you mean?"

Minerva frowned.

"The kids are gone. They left."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who didn't read because you don't like the little [E] rating: 
> 
> So basically, Hermione returns to eat lunch with the rest of the veela. The pair go home and discuss what Victoire talks about. Hermione doesn't want Fleur to become clan leader. We had Hermione and Fleur have sex then Hermione gets her memories back (like ... a lot of them so maybe you could scroll up to read at least those parts). They cry and lots of emotions. Then Minerva calls saying the kids are gone, only leaving a letter through Shirley.
> 
> -
> 
> Also, don't judge the smut it's literally my first time doing this please xD like literally I have nothing to base it on I just can't xD 
> 
> Random things before even I forget-slash-some easter eggs (I'll probably add more when I find them in my Notion but right now I'm gonna sleep):
> 
> \- Made the flowers based on Fleur and Hermione's main kids aka Lia, Victoire, and Rose aka golden daffodils, white dahlias, and red roses. (At least, that was my first impression based on what the flowers literally or symbolically mean :>) It's also a chapter title aka one of the things Rose gives Hermione as a house present.
> 
> \- Yes, Hermione taught Fleur how to cook. (Some peeps at the Discord actually figured it out xD) Also why Fleur likes cooking for her and showing off lmao
> 
> \- Yes, the very same lake Hermione wandered into before entering veela lands (aka where she called Harry) is where she got proposed to hehe :>
> 
> p.s. I AM DONE XD god i'm gonna go study like the good student I'm supposed to be !!


	34. Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kinda found this hard to write. Hate emotions LOL 
> 
> Bold and italicized - For French
> 
> Bold - Veela

Lia and Wendy, through Shirley's help, had appeared in Gryffindor Tower, specifically the girls' dormitories. They approached each bed one-by-one, then hurriedly woke Rose and Laurel up, the two baffled as they were rushed into dressing up and clamoring for their valuables. The Gryffindors barely got any explanation of what they were doing, but Lia's close to fainting yet alarmed demeanor was enough to move Rose at a frantic pace.

"Lia?!" Rose shouted, immediately supporting her sister with an arm. Lia was paler than usual, her eyes drooping and close to fainting. "Why are you in this state? What happened?!" The weak veela, with a hesitant glance to a silent Wendy, quickly shook her head.

 _Not now,_ she thought, realizing that a fiery outburst from Rose was the least the group needed at the moment. She merely gave snippets of information as she struggled about and pulled the group — the coming of the Unspeakables, the group being in danger if they stayed, and the need to go to the veela lands.

A few other Gryffindors had woken up due to the commotion. And so the group hurried to the common room, ignoring the increasing whispers around them. Luckily, the common room was completely deserted. The group stood at the center then all looked to Lia expectantly. The Slytherin took in a deep breath, holding herself up as she gave the elf a firm nod. The sounds of footsteps were quickly approaching from both dormitories, but before any curious watchers could enter the room, the group apparated out of Hogwarts.

In an instant, they appeared in some dark alley, their eyes adjusting to the darkness, only with light from the dull flickering of streetlamps in the distance. Only faded parts of their faces were lit. The group of teenagers reoriented themselves, their hands on the walls surrounding them, all slightly dizzy from the apparition. However, Lia looked to be most affected, as she clutched her stomach and close to fell on her knees. Wendy held her up, her eyes panicked and afraid.

"Lia," Wendy hesitantly spoke, biting her lip, "Lia you have to rest even for a bit before the next apparition. The potio—"

"No." Although Lia's eyes were heavy and her voice was weak. Yet her tone was also firm, urging Shirley to hold the group once more. Rose looked between the 2 Slytherins, her eyes slightly narrowing. She spoke questioningly, not realizing that the elf had already grabbed her.

"What potio—"

Rose was cut short by the sounds of apparition once more. They had apparated somewhere in Glasgow, then immediately to somewhere in Yorkshire. With each side-along apparition, Lia faded closer and closer to unconsciousness, her eyes lidded and her body growing weaker by the minute. But the stubborn Slytherin pushed the group forward, urging them to finish the trip to the veela lands in one go.

"We need to get to Mum and Maman," she repeated, stumbling and ignoring the pain she felt all over her body. The group worriedly looked at her.

Rose shook her head, clutching her sister in support. "We should stop for the night," she urged. Shirley nodded heavily, the elf embracing Lia's legs as she whimpered. Lia smiled sadly at the fearful elf.

"No, we have to get there now," she said nodding to the elf who sadly took her hand once more.

After a particularly difficult apparition transferring the group from London to the edges of France, Rose noticed her sister's face become pale as a sheet.

"Lia?"

The part-veela fell to her knees, physically unable to get up as she slumped in pain. And so with weakening retorts from the stubborn veela, Rose pulled and forced the group to pause in their journey. They walked a block, Lia carried and supported on either side, then they arrived in front of a nearby muggle inn.

Rose blocked Laurel from entering, shaking her head. She looked back at the group, grimacing at the unusual clothing each wore. While Lia and Wendy still had their Hogwarts robes, as if screaming magical-people-who-aren't-normal, she and Laurel had glaringly _Gryffindor_ pajamas.

 _Ugh, I can't use magic because of the trace,_ she thought. _Lia's not fit to work either._

She turned to the worried elf.

"I'm sorry, Shirley, but would you mind changing Lia and Wendy's clothes into something uhm..." She motioned to Lia and Wendy's robes. "...more muggle friendly?" Then she pointed to her and Laurel's pajamas. "And could you spell Laurel and I's clothes into more appropriate clothing as well?"

Shirley nodded, snapping her fingers to change everyone's attires. Rose nodded appreciatively finding everyone in common jeans and sweaters or shirts. While Shirley stayed outside, the teenagers entered the inn. The four found themselves at a quaint lobby, completely empty with the lights dim. The only sound that could be heard was from the clock by the front desk, with the desk also deserted.

Leaving Lia to Wendy and Laurel, the two still supporting the weak veela, Rose quickly walked up to the front desk, impatiently ringing the bell multiple times in succession.

Rose must have been ringing the bell for close to 5 minutes when she scowled. "What is taking them so long?" Rose angrily hissed, gulping as she glanced back at Lia who was increasingly slumping.

"It's 2 in the morning, Rose," Laurel whispered back, scrunching her nose as Lia leaned more of her weight on her. Luckily, a stout old man with gray hair had appeared out the door by the desk. Judging by his bleary eyes, he had just woken up. He turned on another set of lights and was slightly startled by the group's appearance. He looked back at the clock behind him then tilted his head.

 ** _"May I help you, ladies?"_** He asked worriedly in French, noticing the paling Lia. Rose quickly blocked his view. He frowned. **_"Would your friend need to go to a hospital?"_**

 ** _"No need,"_** Rose calmly replied, with Wendy beaming slightly at hearing the same foreign language, **_"we'll be needing a room for 5 please."_**

 ** _"I apologize. We only have rooms for 3 at most,"_** the man said. He tilted his head curiously. **_"Where are your parents?"_**

Rose sighed. **_"Look, sir, we've had a long day. Our car broke down, and our guardian just had to go and get some things. She'll be coming later."_** She motioned to Lia. **_"My sister just needs a place to rest, and I'd appreciate it if we could settle sooner than later."_**

She took out a few muggle bills and coins, attempting to school her face to neutrality, hiding the bubbling worry and panic that threatened to erupt within her. She placed the money on the desk.

**_"We'll take two rooms. Is this enough?"_ **

.

.

.

They entered a small room with plain decor and little space. It had 2 small beds with white linen sheets. On the side, moonlight poured through a small window past drawn beige-brown curtains. The four struggled to make their way through the cramped room, with space only allowing only one person to pass at a time. Rose and Laurel carefully helped Lia settle on one of the beds while Wendy watched glumly.

Rose worriedly turned to Wendy.

"Wendy, what happened to her?" Rose asked, her voice wavering slightly. Wendy stiffened, finding a Rose on the verge of tears; Rose grabbed her hands and sported an expectant expression. The blonde struggled to maintain eye contact with the Gryffindor, gloom soon filling her expression. Lia interrupted.

"Sit down Rose. I'll explain everything," she said, giving Wendy a quick look. In understanding, Wendy nodded and turned away quietly. Lia sighed. "Shirley," she called, the elf appearing by her side, "can you bring me a quill and some parchment? We need to write back to Hogwarts."

Once the elf returned with the needed items, Lia handed these to Rose.

"Rose, can you write the important points of what I'm about to say?" She asked tiredly. "Address it back to the headmistress."

"Sure," she muttered. She furrowed her brows in confusion, watching Wendy sit at the farthest end of the nearby bed, her head downcast. Rose took a seat beside Lia as the Gryffindor started jotting down notes. Lia rubbed her head in frustration. _How do I even go about this?_ She forced herself to sit a bit straighter, Rose's hand clutching hers.

With a slight smile, Lia turned to the group.

Lia had explained everything that had happened without leaving any details — including her family and her relation to Rose, Wendy's involvement, and their journey to veela lands. The poor worried elf clung to her the entire time, her hold tightening further the more Lia explained.

The group had varying reactions.

Laurel had been the most intent in listening, her jaw slackening more and more as the story went on. At the point where Lia revealed being Fleur and Hermione's daughter, Wendy grew silent. Laurel's jaw widened fully. Then realizing her relation to Rose, her jaw dropped wide open. She constantly looked between Rose and Lia, seeming to look for miniscule similarities and having small eureka moments of her own.

The same frizz in their hair, although Lia's was much more prominent.

The same excessive movement of their hands, except Rose's were much less elegant.

Almost exactly the same curious gaze.

"Damn," she muttered with widened eyes, "you really are sisters."

Upon hearing about Wendy's plans about close to turning her in, she couldn't help send a frown in the latter's direction. However, she held herself back realizing that Rose's reactions were much more than enough to jolt the poor Slytherin. Her hands have stopped writing completely, the quill dropping to the floor as she clenched her fist. With a partly confused scowl almost permanently fixed on her face, Rose's eyes bore into Wendy's with disbelief.

Wendy increasingly shrunk back with each worsening glare Rose sent her way, hugging her knees as she had ended up retreating to the corner of the room with her head down.

The last straw was when Lia explained Wendy's use of the veela-suppressing potion. Rose noisily stood up, her eyes like piercing daggers sent to the Slytherin at the other end of the room. Wendy flinched.

"I'm so so sorry," Wendy weakly said.

"I can't believe you!" Rose exclaimed, her nose flaring as she clenched her teeth. She stomped and stalked to a silent Wendy, her movements haphazard and stiff. The Slytherin shrank back further into the wall, cornered by the raging Gryffindor whose shouts filled the room.

"Tell me that I didn't hear what I heard!"

"Rose..." Wendy reached a hand to Rose's, but her hand was swatted away. Wendy looked down in sadness, her shoulders slumped.

"How dare you?" The Gryffindor seethed out, pushing a finger into Wendy's chest. Wendy didn't even bother avoiding the next pushes, her body seemingly lifeless. "How dare you do that to her?!"

Lia's voice sounded behind her.

"Rose, calm down—"

"Be quiet, Lia!" Rose exclaimed, putting a hand up, her voice shaking in fury as she waited for Wendy to meet her eyes. The latter eventually did, bringing her eyes slowly to meet Rose's with a defeated gaze.

"How could you do that to her? Are you a bloody idiot?!" Rose paced back and forth, her hands on her waist. Then she stopped in front of Wendy again, her eyes widening even further. "You almost handed her to your Mum! A—and if she was used like the prophecy dictated, what kind of consequences—" Her eyes widened further. "—she could have bloody died, Wendy!"

"I panicked when Lia found out. I— I didn't know what I was going to do yet," Wendy stammered out weakly. "I hadn't made up my mind, and I wasn't even sure if I was going to hand her in."

"But you almost did!" Rose exclaimed, pulling Wendy up from the bed abruptly. Rose felt her vision blur with angry tears springing forth, then they rolled down her cheeks. She felt her heart wrench and coil in on itself like a raging and shaking storm in her. It felt like her body was moving on its own, her mind left behind in pieces— in confliction and turmoil.

She unconsciously fumbled for her wand. Then pointed it sharply at Wendy's face. Wendy flinched, her hands defensively up as she watched a shaking Rose look at her with mixed emotions— bitter anger, sadness, and betrayal, all so unknown to her.

She had never seen Rose like this. Never seen her so impulsive.

She vaguely heard Lia and Laurel shouting at them. But she didn't hear them, words like the Trace and hexing and calming down bouncing completely off her ears. She could only look at Rose— Rose who looked at her like she were a different person, Rose who was so angry and afraid and distressed... because of _her_.

Wendy bit her lips as she felt herself shake, holding back a sob. Guilt and sadness began eating her up. Her voice came out hoarse.

"I was wrong. Rose, I'm so sorry."

"I trusted you, Wendy," Rose choked out. Wendy was afraid that Rose would continue on a bursting tirade of explosive anger. Yet she felt her bones ache more with Rose's unexpectedly weak voice, heavy on the words as if she couldn't bear to carry them. For some reason, it made Wendy feel worse than she had expected. Rose's hold on her wand was shaky at best, as if her arms had gone frail completely; she struggled to point it more directly. "You hurt Lia." She bit her lip as she shook. "You—you lied to us."

Then Rose faltered, her expression morphing in realization. Although realization usually came with a light, it felt like Rose's sight was dimming instead, her eyes growing empty like a candle fading out. Then with a slight wind, there was no more light. Only a deep deep empty sadness.

"Was everything a lie?" She breathed out. "Everything?" A whimper. "Even us?"

Wendy's eyes flew open, quickly bringing her hand to the wand in front of her, lowering it as she fully looked at Rose. Her hands were already on Rose's shoulders.

"No, Rose," she firmly said, trying to keep her voice steady. She shook her head again. "No, I didn't lie about any of that."

"Even the book you gave me?" Rose choked out, her voice growing weaker by the second. Wendy shook her head from end to end in panicked motions. "Did you just want me to help Laurel awaken her veela?"

"No!" Wendy was desperate. Each phrase Rose uttered was like a stab in her chest. "No, stop jumping to conclusions. Lia just told me about how you'd probably like that book—"

"Then the time before the party? Kissing me and telling me how you felt," Rose choked out again, her breaths growing erratic. "So all of that was just to get to the locket then?"

"Rose don't say that." Wendy couldn't control the tears spilling out again. She couldn't feel the air in her lungs. "That wasn't just to get to the locket. I enjoyed—"

"Do you know how happy I was?" Rose choked out, her sad eyes meeting Wendy's. "Do you know how happy I was being with you? I loved every second staying by your side, and— and I thought you were different."

Rose shook her head. "I fell for you completely. All your charms, all your gifts, and all your words. When you looked at me, I felt like I was soaring. When you kissed me, everything felt so right. You kept me up at night because you filled my thoughts and my dreams, and I never knew that it was possible to love like that— because I always thought that love was just this stupid, illogical thing. That it wouldn't be worth all the trouble."

She chuckled bitterly—emptily. Wendy's heart wrenched in pain.

"But with you, I felt like maybe it would all be worth it."

"I felt like the luckiest girl in the world because you loved _me,_ not Rose _Weasley_ , the daughter of my parents. Not Rose who was a 'genius.' You loved _me._ " Her gaze grew unfocused, tears blurring her vision. "Even when you got jealous of me and Lia, I didn't want to admit it... but I was happy that you wanted me— that in some twisted way, you were willing to fight for me. That you really did care for me. I felt like I had finally found someone I could rely on, who I could love and would love me back wholeheartedly. Whenever I was with you, I felt so happy. I felt so understood. I felt so loved."

Wendy was rendered mute as Rose let go of her wand, the item dropping to the floor. She didn't look away from Wendy, her expression now just one of utter sorrow and brokenness— like she had finally accepted everything, the news finally settling like a slap to her face.

Wendy hated it.

She hated how she knew this was all her fault. She hated that _she_ was the cause of Rose's sorrow— Rose out of all people— the one person who she was supposed to protect. She wished she could turn back time and stop herself from bringing Lia to the forest. She wished she could tell herself she should've just told Lia about everything.

But it was already too late.

 _I did this. I deserve this,_ she thought.

"Rose, I'll make it up to you. I'll earn your trust again." Her voice cracked as she cupped Rose's jaw, willing herself to look at the crumbling Gryffindor in the eyes. Rose slowly dropped her head down.

Wendy didn't care about her trembling voice as she spoke. "I swear I'll make this right," she said desperately. "I don't have an excuse for what I did. I was so very stupid, Rose. I didn't know what to do, whether to turn Lia in or get her out or ... I don't even know! But I made up my mind," she said, her tone slightly hopeful as Rose's eyes sparked a familiar bit of recognition. "I made up my mind because of you. I made up my mind for _you..._ because she's your family, Rose."

She shook her head, meeting Rose's eyes with the most sincere look she could muster. The Gryffindor's eyes became unfocused as tears blocked her vision close to completely. Wendy wiped a few of the other's tears away, choking out her words.

"I love you, Rose."

Rose remained silent, taking in the blonde before her, gazing at her like it was one of those first days they met. Maybe there was a fleck of that time Wendy had gathered up the courage to give her the book she wanted. Or a hint of when they kissed and laughed after sneaking into empty classrooms. A trace of when Wendy held her hand as if she didn't want Rose to ever leave her side.

Rose smiled sadly, allowing the memories to wash over her. Then, she closed her eyes, placing Wendy's hands off her, then stepping away slowly.

"I loved you too, Wendy."

Wendy's heart sank. Then shattered in close to a million pieces. But she didn't care to pick them up anymore.

"L—loved?" She croaked out. Wendy repeated Rose's words in her mind like a broken recording, desperately seeking out Rose's eyes, hoping to find a different answer— even if the Gryffindor didn't verbally say it. _Merlin, please. Don't do this to me, Rose_ , she thought, hoping her silent pleas reached the downcast Gryffindor. _Rose, don't do this._

"You don't love me anymore?" Wendy sobbed, falling to a knee as she shook. She clutched her chest, feeling her heart pound in unbearable pain. It felt like she was going to split into two from sadness. She felt her lungs close to giving out.

She met Rose's eyes again. But they didn't give Wendy the answer she so sought.

"I'm sorry, Wendy."

.

.

.

.

.

Lia explained Rose's veela characteristics. Wendy had left the room close to an hour ago, saying she was going to stay at the other room for the rest of the night. Lia grimaced, looking at Rose who looked back at her with a blank stare.

After Wendy had left, Rose held her chest the entire time, gritting her teeth as if in physical pain. Her handwriting on the parchment had grown messy, strokes growing more jagged and angry as a few of her fallen tears seeped through. Lia and Laurel could only watch sadly.

Then Lia sighed, taking Rose's hand and biting her lip. With blank eyes, Rose looked up with a slightly raised brow.

"You shouldn't have done that," Lia said.

A quick soft reply. "She hurt you."

Lia shook her head.

"You two," Lia said, pointing to Rose and the door, "are most likely true mates."

Rose's head snapped to the door with a flicker of regret in her slightly widened eyes. Then she snapped back to Lia. "But I don't have a veela," she said, her voice unsure and desperate. "I've never felt anything live within me. So are you sure?"

Lia nodded, her tired eyes closing as she swayed. Rose held her still. "Positive," she muttered. "I'm guessing you probably don't have a living entity in you, but you inherited fragments of veela blood through Mum."

Rose abruptly stood up, the parchment falling off her lap on the floor as she quickly ran for the door. With her hand already raised to the knob, she stopped, then exasperatedly turned back to Lia as she hit her back to the door.

"Why— why would she do that?" She croaked out, hot tears streaming down her face. She pounded on the door as she sobbed. "Why would Wendy hurt you?!"

"Rose—"

"What am I supposed to do?!" Rose exclaimed, holding her chest as she struggled to breathe. She shook her head violently, muttering and shaking. "I don't know what to do. I don't know what to!"

Laurel stood up, immediately walking to Rose and hugging her.

"Just," she hesitated, feeling Rose's trembles against her embrace. She frowned. "Just give it a day. Give tonight to think. You can do something tomorrow."

Rose shakily nodded, allowing herself to be walked back to where Lia sadly sat. Lia felt helpless, too weak to even move on her own. She took in Rose's hand, giving the best smile she could muster.

"Everything will be alright. I promise."

With a sigh, Lia painfully took the parchment from the floor, waving off Rose's attempts at getting it from her. After finishing recounting the rest of the details and writing the last line on the parchment, Lia folded it in three, handing it to the elf and giving her instructions.

"I'm sorry you have to go all the way back, Shirley," she said apologetically. "But could you please give this back to the headmistress? Tell her it's important she tell Mum and Maman about this. It has all the details they need."

The elf shook her head, crossing her arms. "I'm not leaving Miss Lia alone."

"Please, Shirley. I'll be fine with Rose and the rest. This is important."

The elf stopped to think as her ears folded down. She huffed. "Alright, Miss Lia," Shirley grumbled. "Will Miss Lia be needing all her clothes?"

With a tired chuckle, Lia shook her head.

"Only the valuables I left in my room, Shirley," she said. She emphasized her point, repeating the word with raised brows. "Va-lu-a-bles." The elf smiled, disapparating away. The teenagers were soon left to their own devices. After a few minutes, Laurel stood up, walking to the door.

"I'll go," she said aloud to nobody in particular. "I'll sleep in the other room, too. You guys should go get some rest." She reached her hand to the knob, then was slightly startled to hear Rose's voice.

"Make sure Wendy is alright."

Laurel looked back, meeting Rose's somber eyes. Nodding, she exited the room. The Gryffindor crossed to the other side of the hall, taking her time with her steps as she rehearsed what she was going to walk into. Was Wendy going to be crying? Asleep? Blank?

_Damn it, why couldn't we get just one room at this place._

She stopped in front of an identical door, hesitant at knocking. Then she heard noise coming from inside. With a raised brow, Laurel placed her ear against the wooden door.

Sobbing. And the dropping of things. A few thuds. Was that muffled screaming?

"Wendy?" She called through the door, knocking twice. "Can you please open the door? It's Laure—"

She was cut short by the sudden opening of the door. The leaning part-veela fell through and close to fell to the ground; she stumbled forward.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Wendy exclaimed, pulling Laurel up. The Gryffindor fixed her clothes, slightly stretched from being pulled. She shook her head to find a completely red Wendy, her eyes completely swollen (Laurel didn't quite think it was possible for Wendy's eyes to be even more swollen in comparison to a while ago; she was proven wrong), and her arms clutching a... what the hell was that?

Laurel looked at Wendy's hands, a large tear-soaked brown cloth covering a... pillow? The Gryffindor's head snapped to the window, bare of the curtains which used to be there.

"Is that the bloody curtain?"

In the corner of her eye, Laurel found the two beds messed up; one of them had their covers completely taken off and thrown to the side. A few papers lay on the floor, some ripped to shreds, some crumpled. One had holes poked through multiple times. The carpet was folded at weird angles. A curtain was taken off its railings and strewn on the other bed. The other was in Wendy's hands, wrapped around a pillow. Oh, and there was crumpled tissue on the floor. Everywhere.

Laurel didn't know whether to be thoroughly surprised or impressed— the room barely had anything, but Wendy found the most creative ways to completely ruin it. Laurel turned to an embarrassed Wendy who nodded with amused eyes.

"Wow. You have the worst coping techniques, Wendy," she said, carefully taking the pillow away. Wendy nodded, struggling as she shakily took in a deep breath. She sat down on the bed in front of her. Laurel tilted her head, then sat down beside her.

"Definitely don't have to ask but... it's still about Rose, right?"

Upon hearing Rose's name, Wendy stiffened. She shut her eyes, tears spilling out as she grabbed the pillow from Laurel and buried her face in it. She muffled her screams. Unsure of what to do, Laurel patted her back... then head... then shoulders?

Laurel inwardly cringed at herself. _Dammit, I'm never good at these kinds of things! She_ thought to herself. Wendy looked back up, grabbing another roll of tissue and wiping her eyes.

"Yes, I've never cried this much in my life," Wendy replied hoarsely.

"Apparently."

"I'm sorry you have to witness this."

"Perfectly alright. And expected."

The two remained silent for a while, only the sounds of Wendy's sniffles and sobs heard. Laurel scratched her head. She had mentally rehearsed what to do in various scenarios while walking here, but none of them seemed particularly useful now.

"Rose asked me to check if you were alright."

An empty chuckle, then a blow of the nose. Wendy shook her head. Her voice came out as a defeated whisper.

"What does it matter? She doesn't love me anymore."

"I hardly think so," Laurel replied, putting her feet up on the bed. She met Wendy's questioning eyes. "What? I'm serious. You should've seen her when you left. She looks as bad as you."

Wendy remained silent, then fixed the sheets on the bed. The Slytherin stood up, picking up the tissue on the floor and cleaning up the mess she made. She did this hastily, as if wanting to keep any sorts of thoughts from her mind. Laurel frowned.

"Just give Rose some time."

Wendy's shoulders dropped. "It doesn't change the fact that I did something so horrible, Laurel." She threw the tissue into the bin.

"What were you supposed to do, then?" Laurel asked, undeterred. "Disobey your Mum? I hardly think she would've allowed you to do so."

"Even so—"

"Look, you didn't really defend yourself earlier," Laurel interrupted, counting on her fingers as she spoke. "For one, if you didn't do what you did, you'd live with the fact that you were responsible for the Dementors escaping. Two," another finger up, "you have the Mum as the Ministry of Magic. It would have been the fall of your family's reputation if you let it be." Wendy bit her lip. "I'm pretty sure there's more, but I can't seem to place my finger on it."

Wendy blinked.

"Not to be rude, but aren't you supposed to be angry with me, Laurel?" She asked softly. Detecting no sort of reply from the curious Gryffindor, she sighed, turning back to fixing her bed. "You don't need to comfort me. It's as if you're defending my actions."

"Not really," Laurel shrugged, taking a pillow and shifting her weight towards it. "I'll admit, I was angry earlier. After all, you almost threw me in the bin too." Wendy averted her gaze. Laurel waved her hand in the air nonchalantly. "It's all good. No worries. Anyways, seeing Rose so out of it and lashing at you, I figured that at least one of us had to cool down. I may not be as smart as Rose or Lia, but... I kind of understand where you were coming from."

"What do you mean?" Wendy asked affixing the curtains back to their rightful place. She winced at the puddles of tears etched into the cloth.

"All I'm saying is that there was little you could do with the kind of situation you had. You were stuck between a rock and a hard place." She scrunched her nose, fixing her bed's sheets. "I'm just curious, but... did your Mum threaten you or anything?"

Wendy smiled bitterly. "I wouldn't call it threaten. More of imply that she'd never forgive me if I rejected her— probably never treat me as her daughter ever again." She shrugged, chuckling emptily. She looked at Laurel with slightly sad eyes, her tone dropping to a whisper. "But really, not threaten. Things weren't so different to begin with anyway."

Laurel frowned. "To begin with?" She hummed in thought, sitting and facing Wendy. "Were you guys not close?"

The Slytherin stiffened, her hands stopping mid-air as she fixed her own sheets. She cleared her throat. "I wouldn't say we had the best relationship, Laurel."

Laurel raised a brow. "But your family's known to be this good— great— perfect family, right?" She gestured to the air in front of her, depicting grandeur and greatness with her twinkling eyes. "At least, that's what's depicted in the papers and all."

Wendy sighed.

"You shouldn't always believe what's on the papers," she huffed out. "Yes, we're a rich family. And yes, more powerful and influential now that Mum's Minister." She trailed off as a few thoughts came to mind. Then she brought herself back with a shake of her head.

"People say I have the most perfect life— living in a mansion, going to parties, dressing up, having all these connections, with such righteous and goody-two-shoes parents." She stopped fixing her bed, sadly looking at Laurel who watched her carefully. "But luxurious dining tables, golden plates, and large rooms... they're not really the best things in the world if I'm eating all alone, you know."

"Alone?" Laurel frowned further. "How about your dad? I know he works at the Ministry too as a lower-ranking official. But Rose told me he has this other job that makes him all-the-more important." She pursed her lips. "But uhm, I'm not really sure where he works."

Wendy shrugged. "Dad's a half-blood. He works in both Muggle and Magical governments. Technically speaking, his work concerns relations between both governments. He's much more known in the muggle world. After all, he's part of the Cabinet."

"The what now? He makes wardrobes?"

A sigh escaped Wendy's lips. "Muggle politics, Laurel. He's a high-ranking official."

Laurel leaned forward. "So you have a Mum who's Minister of Magic and a Dad who's part of Muggle government." She shook her head. "What the hell? So you really lived in that big mansion mostly all alone?" Wendy tipped her head slightly. Laurel scoffed. "Well, they're awful parents."

Wendy grimaced. "Don't get me wrong. They aren't that bad— not the tragic story you're looking for." She smiled slightly. "I wasn't completely abandoned. I have a few memories from when Mum and I used to be closer when I was much younger," she chuckled, seeming to reminisce the past. Then she furrowed her brow, slowly pulling herself back.

"But once she became an Unspeakable, it was like I could barely talk to her. She was barely home; she was out there putting her life on the line for the world... not knowing she was missing out on her own daughter's."

Laurel nodded solemnly, feeling the weight of the words settle. She tilted her head. "Did you miss her?"

"I did," Wendy admitted, biting her lip as she tugged her knees to her chest. "I really did," she repeated softly. "Maybe that's the real reason as to why I agreed to everything she said." She closed her eyes, sighing.

The two remained quiet for a while. Then the Slytherin pulled her lips up to a sad smile, climbing under the covers and facing towards the curtains, away from Laurel.

"Good night, Laurel. I'll have to prepare and catch some shut-eye before we meet with Fleur and Hermione. They're absolutely going to kill me."

Laurel stopped herself from speaking again, pressing her lips together and sighing. She slumped, turning off the lights and climbing into her own bed. She could distinctly hear Wendy's muffled sobbing, the poor Slytherin containing her shaky breaths. With a last glance at Wendy, Laurel spoke, right before closing her eyes to sleep.

"Don't worry. They're war veterans. They'll understand why you did what you did because they're adults." She chuckled, then closed her eyes, her voice echoing in the dark.

"And they're definitely not going to kill you."

* * *

"I'm going to kill her!" Fleur howled, rising from her seat on the floor.

The couple had just finished talking to Minerva. The headmistress had explained everything that was detailed in Lia's letter as the two looked at each other warily, alarm filling their faces at finding out that the teenagers had left Hogwarts in the dead of the night-slash-early morning. Midway through their talks, when Minerva had detailed Wendy's betrayal, Fleur had begun gritting her teeth and clenching her fists. Hermione thought it to be a miracle that the blonde could endure the rest of the talk without bursting into a fit. She herself had been trying to control her anger through deep breathing.

Once Minerva had left, Fleur quickly lost it.

The brunette followed her completely fuming mate into the living room. Fleur's face was completely red. Her eyes had turned silver with not a speck of blue left. It was like the aura around her had changed into one of absolute fury, radiating in waves such that Hermione felt her skin prick and burn just from standing close to Fleur. She could vaguely hear the cracking of Fleur's wings through her back.

"Fleur, calm down," Hermione began, rubbing soothing motions into Fleur's back. Fleur took in a deep breath, feeling her head throb. A deep growl resounded from the back of her throat.

"How can I calm down?!" She seethed. "That girl almost killed Lia— almost killed our daughter! I am going to—" she raised her hands, her nails growing longer as she gritted her teeth "—going to kill her. I'm going to rip her to shreds. I'm going to hunt down and burn that— that bitch alive!"

"Fleur!" Hermione shouted, shocked as she turned her mate around and cupped her jaw. She desperately sought any sort of clarity and rationality left in the blonde. There was none. Fleur didn't back down, her hands already starting to conjure flames. "Calm down! Put the flames away!" She grabbed Fleur's hands, shaking her head. "I'm sure Wendy has some sort of an explanation for all of this. She made a difficult decision."

"Yes and that decision almost cost us our fucking daughter! Hermione—"

"Fleur, breathe. Calm down," she interrupted, her eyes glowing silver and her veela attempting to rise to the surface. "I'm mad, too. Less at Wendy and more with her mother. Now calm down." Hermione felt her back ache slightly as her wings tried to burst through again. Her voice melded with her veela's, her words spilling out in a deeper tone.

**"Calm your veela."**

Fleur's eyes widened, feeling her wings recede; her eyes faded in their silver hue. It was like the fire within her was being extinguished by a pouring stream. She breathed out slowly, meeting Hermione's eyes. Hermione gently lifted Fleur's chin.

"She brought our daughter back. Let's talk to her and hear her out. We owe at least that to her," she hesitated slightly. "Plus, if Lia's correct, then she's Rose's mate." Hermione sighed, giving Fleur a bitter smile as she nodded. "I don't want my daughter losing a mate. We of all people know how that feels."

Upon hearing that, Fleur softened her gaze, closing her eyes as she felt Hermione's forehead press into hers. She could hear Hermione's deep breaths; it was obvious that even the brunette was attempting to calm herself down. The only difference was that she had much better self-control. Fleur opened her eyes, meeting Hermione's silver ones.

"Will you give me permission to be her Maman as well?

"Who, Rose?" Hermione smiled brightly. "She'll have to get used to you. And I'll have to marry you first."

Fleur raised a brow. "Oh, Hermione. You shouldn't marry people you barely know," she said with amused eyes. Hermione rolled her eyes. "We need to set a good example for the kids."

The brunette hummed, watching Fleur take in deep breaths as she calmed down considerably. Fleur seemed to be lost in thought now, her eyes crinkling in a smile as she took in Hermione's presence once more.

"I missed this," the blonde whispered.

"What?"

A soft chuckle escaped Fleur's lips. Then she hummed. "When your veela would calm mine down, I mean."

Hermione's eyes twinkled. "I'm the _only_ one who could calm that blasted veela of yours," she said, fixing Fleur's nightgown and pulling it to its rightful form as it had grown messy due to the veela's not-so-little outburst. "Let's just wait for them to arrive, okay?" Hermione softly asked, quickly pecking Fleur on the lips. The blonde smiled, allowing herself to be pulled back into the room.

Hermione yawned, tugging a still pouting Fleur towards her as they flopped back into bed. The brunette pulled the covers over them, snuggling into Fleur's embrace as the blonde placed her arms around the weary brunette. Hermione smiled lazily, feeling Fleur's fingers through her hair. She kissed Fleur slowly, then parted as she lay down and snuggled in.

"Now let me sleep," Hermione yawned out, "I need the energy to hold you back from killing two children when we wake up."

Fleur raised a brow.

"Two?"

"Definitely," the brunette murmured, already trailing off.

"I need to keep you from burning Wendy alive and smothering Lia in kisses. Either way, the poor kids are going to die."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anybody knows any online creative writing workshops, please tell me (I'm genuinely interested and have been looking for some) :"" Wish me luck because for the next few weeks, I'll be advancing to the next round of a competition (which I'm terrified of) so hopefully I finish it quick so I can update this GRRRRR
> 
> Have a good day!


	35. Home

The woman tapped her foot impatiently on the floor, her lips tightly pressed into a line as she counted the ticks of the clock. For the third time in a minute, her eagle eyes strayed to the time.

_1:04 am._

She pinched her nose in annoyance. _What is taking them so long?_ She thought, standing up and not caring about the horrible screech her chair made against the floor. Letting out an irritated huff, she finger-combed her pitch-black hair in utter frustration.

Before she could flick her wand and send yet another message to the Unspeakables, she heard the distant sounds of hurried footsteps coming closer and closer. The door opened to reveal 2 men, definitely were out of breath as their lungs looked about to give out. The woman crossed her arms upon finding nobody else with them, a scowl affixed on her face. After quickly closing the door, the two men shuddered and looked to one another in hesitance, afraid to address the domineering woman.

The woman spoke.

"Why don't you have them?"

The taller one spoke weakly. "They're gone.... Mi—Minister."

Cassandra's eyes widened in shock.

"What do you mean gone?" She demanded, pacing to the two who met the fierce woman's eyes in fear, almost as if they had wished the earth would gobble them up.

"Your daughter," the shorter one said, gulping, "used the device to bring Lia to the safe house. But when we went there, they were gone." He continued to speak, rushing as Cassandra narrowed her eyes. The Minister tilted her head as the words registered in her mind.

 _Wendy?_ She asked herself in disbelief. _Wendy ran away?_

"Minister, then we went back to Hogwarts to try a hand at getting Laurel."

"But?" She asked impatiently. _Don't tell me._

"But she was also gone, along with Rose Weasley. There was a great commotion at the Gryffindor tower because of it."

Cassandra furrowed her brows as she paced back to her desk and placed her hands on either side of it. Her head pulsed, and a painful headache was obviously imminent. _4 missing students._ She grunted, clenching a fist and banging the table. _What a mess this is. And Wendy...._ She frowned further, her eyes trailing to a photo at her desk by the stack of papers. Her eyes met a slightly fearful Wendy who peeked out the frame, leaving a slightly angry Cassandra and a confused blonde man, the Minister's husband, in the photo.

_Wendy, what have you done?_

As if hearing her thoughts, the Wendy in the frame zoomed out, never returning.

The Minister's eyes softened.

"And why would you leave, Wendy?" She asked, the words slipping out her mouth before she could stop herself. Her tone was less of a demand and more of a question. After all, her mind was whirring in confusion. _This is the last thing I expected, s_ he thought. _And bring Rose Weasley? Why would you bring somebody unrelated to the case? It can't just simply be because of a mere crush._

Her thoughts were interrupted.

The sound of yet another set of thundering footsteps.

The Minister, along with the two Unspeakables, whipped around to the loud banging of the door as it flew open. Cassandra's eyes widened in alarm. It was a woman— another Unspeakable, one of the few who was stationed at the Department of Mysteries this evening.

"What is it? Are there problems with the door?" The Minister demanded, ready to break into a run as she pulled her wand out.

The woman quickly shook her head.

"It's the tree," she blurted out, watching Cassandra widen her eyes in surprise. She bit her lip. "The tree's binds are broken. They broke a few hours ago, and we only noticed it now when we went to check it."

Cassandra looked at her incredulously.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Minister. We double—triple— quadruple checked because we couldn't believe it either."

Cassandra nodded, her head whirring as she met the other's equally-shocked eyes. "Now we just need Lia," she absentmindedly said. The two men winced, then upon noticing this, Cassandra waved her hand in dismissal.

"It is alright. You two couldn't have done anything," she said, turning around. Her thoughts drifted to Wendy again, unable to hold back a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach. _We could have been done with all of this Wendy... The tree's already free. What bad timing._ She sighed deeply.

She heard one of the men speak behind her.

"Minister, what do we do now? Word will probably get out to the rest of the Ministry."

Cassandra spun around to meet the three Unspeakables' worried eyes.

"Go back to the door. Help the others with adding more sealing layers. I know there's no difference, but it's all we can do," she said, holding her head in frustration. "This problem sets us back by leaps and bounds, so we need to at least try delaying the Dementors from escaping." She waved her hand in dismissal effectively cutting off the other two from speaking. "The rest of the Ministry cannot and _will_ not do anything to stop us." She pursed her lips. "Not with us being the keepers of the door. I will sort out the rest."

The three looked at one another in confusion. The shorted man spoke.

"What about you, Minister? Won't you be under fire, then?"

"I will leave but will give you orders from a distance. Do not worry. I know a place where to hide for now."

The Minister spoke dismissively.

"Go. Now. I'll handle everything."

The three Unspeakables immediately exited, leaving a still-standing Minister in the middle of her office as she closed her eyes. _What to do... what to do..._ She paced to her desk, then to the door, about to turn the knob. Then she opened her eyes in realization. She spun around, her eyes drifting to the other side of her room.

Cassandra walked to the other end of the room, to her fireplace. She quickly muttered a few words, allowing it to blaze to life and sticking her head into the fireplace hoping to all the gods that the one on the other end would be awake. She bit her lip, waiting for a few moments in silence. Then she heard movement. She found the shadow of a figure approach her. Only the slight twinkling of silver peeked through the pitch-black darkness and slight moonlight pouring in from a nearby window was visible.

"Minister," the other figure called out. It was a female voice. "What can I do for you at this time?"

Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief.

"We have trouble."

The veela hummed. "And what is it?"

"We weren't able to retrieve Lia. My daughter took her, Laurel Chaves, and Rose Weasley and then escaped Hogwarts." She bit her lip. "I didn't know she could do such a thing."

The shadow bobbed her head in understanding. Her figure stilled in the dark, her glistening hair seeming to freeze in mid-air. She spoke.

"They will most likely arrive here, then."

Cassandra quirked a brow. "The Veela lands?"

"Yes."

"Why?" She paused, watching the veela tilt her head. "And why would she bring Rose? She has no connection to this case."

Cassandra heard a slight click of the tongue from the figure. Then as if to mask her displeasure, the veela hummed in thought, elegantly bringing a hand to her chin and thinking.

"I do not know why Wendy would bring Rose. But..." She walked to the other side, her silver hair moving through the dark, like a mirage that would disappear any second. "I'm assuming that if Wendy revealed everything to Lia, they would want to go to a veela— to have protection and to better figure out how to solve the issue. Apolline Delacour is the only contact Lia has at the moment."

Cassandra shook her head. "I still do not understand how you know about this." A pause. She held her forehead. "I mean, you said that you were able to tamper with the magic at their house to eavesdrop but... really? The Delacour house?"

The Minister felt a frown cut through the darkness. She shivered. "Minister," the veela began, her voice sharp, "you know who I am. Do not judge my capabilities." Cassandra trembled slightly. "Judging from your expression, I believe you have more to say aside from question my capabilities."

Cassandra shakily nodded. "Of course." She paused, gathering her thoughts and cooling down. "I just got the news that the tree's binds were broken a few hours ago."

She heard sudden movement from the veela, the veela abruptly turning to the nearby window. Although the veela kept to the darkness and away from the streaming moonlight, Cassandra could vaguely make out silver eyes narrowing. The veela lifted her chin slightly as if looking at something far off and high up above. Cassandra felt ripples of ... _something_ touch her skin. She had initially thought it was one of satisfaction... maybe ripples of delight as she felt these reaching to her Minister through the flames. The veela's hair seemed to glisten more— close to white. Satisfaction? Delight? No, it was something more.

It was a feeling of victory.

Then as quick as it came, it disappeared— like it was held back and reigned in. As if Cassandra wasn't supposed to know.

Cassandra frowned. There it was again. A held-back reaction from the veela.

"What do you know?" The Minister asked, narrowing her eyes and attempting to focus on the figure through the darkness. She failed to find the face she met years ago. It was as if the other was hiding purposely. It didn't sit right with her.

"You know something, don't you?"

"I do not know what you are talking about, Minister," she said, her words not matching her actions as she slowly slipped further into the darkness. She hummed in thought once more.

Cassandra looked at her in confusion, hoping she would continue. But the veela didn't, merely remaining silent as she waited expectantly. The Minister sighed. "So what should we do? Or better yet, what will _you_ do? "I can't go to veela lands, but since you're there maybe you could get Lia back—"

"For the last time, Laurel is the Golden One. You must trust me," the veela firmly interrupted. "I will also not be doing anything to get neither Laurel nor Lia.... We will do nothing with the teenagers."

Cassandra blinked in confusion.

"What?"

"Yes, we will do nothing... at least for now." The veela's voice grew louder as she approached. "They will be arriving soon, and I do not wish to risk blowing my cover. Even I cannot handle the shared wrath of the Delacour clan."

She continued, pacing to the other side of the room. "We will be focusing our efforts on something else. We will wait for the right moment to strike— when everyone's attentions are elsewhere. The entire clan has already been informed that the Turnover, the passing of the leader title, will be occurring in a few weeks." Cassandra raised her brows at this. But before she could interrupt, the veela continued, emphasizing every word.

"Fleur Delacour will most likely be the next successor. It is actually best that she be the successor considering her ties to Apolline... amongst other reasons—"

"What other reasons?" Cassandra sharply interrupted. "Why should Fleur be the successor?" She grew irate, clenching her jaw and narrowing her eyes. "Why won't you tell me?"

The veela ignored her. Then she dryly laughed. Cassandra gulped, feeling the hairs on the back of her neck rise as the veela spoke as if amused.

"Fleur has her own unique ways with trying to solve this problem. Let us just say that she may serve to be a great impediment to our plans and her becoming successor will... greatly decrease the chances of doing so."

"And why?" Cassandra demanded.

The veela ignored her, sighing as she shook her head.

"I cannot tell you. You must trust me."

"Trust you?" Cassandra exasperatedly said. "How can I trust you if you keep hiding things?"

The veela paused. "If you cannot trust me, then trust this."

With a slight growl, the veela raised her hand, and through the darkness, Cassandra made out silvery wisps of bands around the thin arm. She felt the same magical bands around her own. Then they disappeared, the lingering speckles of magic still in the air.

"Trust our contract, Cassandra. If I don't carry out the ritual—our agreement— then I will die, correct?" Cassandra hesitantly nodded as the veela continued. "I am keeping these things from you for your own good. And we will definitely carry out the ritual. I will ensure of it. Lest we both die in our mission, Cassandra."

Cassandra felt herself tremble seeing the face of the veela come into the moonlight. The ethereal veela's eyes looked more menacing tonight.

"Good night, Cassandra. I hope for your speedy escape."

Hearing the veela's dismissal, Cassandra took her head out of the fireplace. She furrowed her brows, standing up and thinking of where to go. She quickly gathered her things, stopping momentarily to look at the young Wendy who returned to the picture, looking at her worriedly. The Minister smiled bitterly.

"I'll be fine, Wendy," she whispered, taking the frame in her hands and stowing it into a bag. She gathered a few more items. "I'm going to have to scold you when we meet but... please be safe."

With her belongings in tow, she ran out of the room and escaped to the apparition sites. Her thoughts drifted to the veela's words, reasoning that she was indeed doing the right thing. She was supposed to be reassured. Her mind told her so. The logic in the veela's words told her so. But something in her felt dread and questioning at the veela's words.

She couldn't shake off the bad feeling that something was terribly wrong.  
  
  


* * *

  
  
Hermione awoke to an empty bed. She unconsciously placed her hands on the area beside her, feeling only cold, meaning Fleur had left much earlier. She, however, found a note in Fleur's place. She held it up against the light to read, feeling her heart flutter at mere simple words written in familiar cursive handwriting.

_  
  
Good morning, Hermione. I hope you slept well. Very probable considering you dreamt of me, non?_

_I woke up thinking everything was a dream— you remembering our lives and making love through the rest of the afternoon and night. It was the best dream I've ever had, I thought. And I reprimanded myself for thinking such lewd thoughts while you recovered. Then I awoke and saw you and all the love marks I made on your neck. So I was overjoyed to find that none of it was imagined._

_I could still hardly believe it. But I'll reserve my thoughts and feelings to when we rejoin._

_I made breakfast for you on the table, and I already called Harry about the situation to inform the Ministry. Unfortunately, Cassandra has already escaped. Some Unspeakables were left however, and they continue to guard the door at the Department of Mysteries. Harry will probably be talking to you once he catches on some much needed sleep._

_I also told Eve about our decision for me not to become her successor. She was quite sad, but she under stood my decision. She agreed to find another replacement and is currently looking for one now._

_Anyway, I woke up and left early to wait by the gates in case the teenagers arrive early. Like I promised, I won't kill anybody, whether it be my daughter or her best-friend-turned-traitor (Wendy's name was scratched off multiple times here). Also, I was going to ask Victoire to guide you there but realized that you probably already know your way around, don't you? I am dragging her to the entrance with me. and plan to surprise her with Lia's arrival and reveal, considering that it would be close to impossible to hide a group of troublesome teenagers from my family._

_If you don't mind, I already stole a morning kiss. Come catch up if you want to steal it back._

_Je t'aime,_

_Fleur  
  
  
_

"Cheeky as ever," Hermione muttered with a smile, folding the note.

The brunette felt her veela already lurching to find its mate. Hermione held her chest as she felt her veela croon in joy at being freed. The brunette felt like she was soaring over and up, into the clouds and soaring, free and unburdened.

She had never felt this way before. She quite liked it.

She immediately stood up, showered, freshened up (taking note to cover all the marks around her body), and went through some of her clothes, settling for a pale blue blouse and white pants. ('Not exactly the outfit to best reflect recovering lifetimes' worth of memories, plus preparing to meet your unexpected daughter again, but it would have to do,' she amusedly thought.) She rushed to eat breakfast, delighting in the full English Breakfast Fleur prepared, then set out of the house.

Hermione looked around the veela lands with new eyes, her eyes wandering to the far off Delacour house, the field pockets in between, the narrow entrance to the winding path to Urlea Lake at the opposite end, part of the Circle of Avelin on the other side, the wooden bridges and paths all throughout, the quaint houses scattered about, the Elder's House at the edge, the flying veela children... everything seemed to come back in familiar bursts of memories to her mind.

It was as if instead of seeing everything like a detached bystander, Hermione felt sentimental feelings seep into her bones. A familiar sense of warmth filled her. No longer was she at the foreign veela lands. Instead, she was _home._

Hermione jumped slightly feeling the familiar prick of wings attempting to burst through her back. With calm breaths, she stopped her veela. _Not now. Who knows who could be watching?_ The veela agreed, almost as if apologizing to Hermione as the brunette laughed. _Just like old times,_ she thought, hopping onto a nearby branch and descending. _You're doing much better now that you're free, aren't you?_

A few minutes later, Hermione arrived by the gates, spotting her mate leaning on a nearby tree. She wore a sleeveless pale yellow dress, matching her hair. Hermione felt her veela close to burst out her chest. However, Fleur didn't notice Hermione arrive, the latter's eyes fixed on the open gates, which buzzed with magical energy. The brunette snuck closer, soon finding Victoire nonchalantly standing by a nearby tree, focused on a few of her papers— files in hand.

Once close enough to Fleur and without even seeing the other's face, Hermione knew that the other was already smirking.

"You can try, mon coeur, but I know you're there."

Hermione rolled her eyes, embracing Fleur from behind and burying her lips against the blonde's bare shoulder. She felt both their veelas croon in contentment. Victoire's eyes went up from the sounds of movement. Then she smiled at the sight before her, greeting Hermione as she faux rolled her eyes. Then she returned to her files.

"So I'm guessing they haven't arrived yet?" Hermione asked softly, her words slightly muffled.

"Not yet," Fleur replied, holding Hermione's hands against her stomach and humming. "I've already told the gatekeepers about their arrival."

"Someone's excited."

"Meeting Lia through firecall was not even close to enough," Fleur whispered low enough for Victoire not to hear, interlacing her fingers with Hermione's. "I want to hold her in my arms, 'Ermione."

"Me too," Hermione said, nuzzling into Fleur's neck as Fleur sighed.

The two stayed like this as Victoire approached the couple curiously. She narrowed her eyes amusedly, seeming to look over Fleur who looked back in confusion. Victoire crossed her arms.

"I was wondering why you two didn't even bother coming to have dinner or at least tea with us yesterday. At least now I have my answers."

Fleur raised a brow. "Answers?"

Victoire laughed with a twinkle in her eyes, pointing to Fleur's neck just above the area Hermione nuzzled her face into. Fleur's eyes shot open.

Hermione raised her head to look at a slightly embarrassed Fleur. Then she looked back at where she placed her head. Her own eyes widened. Smudged concealer and make-up revealed very red love marks.

"Fleur, why do you still use muggle make-up?!" Hermione asked with widened eyes, touching her face and feeling an extra bit of make-up on her cheeks.

Fleur winced, biting her lip. "I do everything muggle in this rea—"

The group was suddenly interrupted by Rose's distinct voice cutting through the air, albeit a bit annoyed, coming from outside the gate. The couple especially froze in their tracks.

"Lia, we've been going around in bloody circles!"

The couple quickly whipped their heads to the gate. Fleur quickly extricated from Hermione as the two close to ran hastily. Victoire was left with widened eyes, slightly dumbfounded at both the familiar voice and the pair's extreme reaction. She followed a beat after.

"Rose?" She asked the pair. "What on earth is she doing here?" The pair ignored her, halting by the gate as they desperately waited by the entrance. She looked at the two who continued to search past the entrance. "Maman? Aunt Hermione?" They continued to ignore her, spotting patches of color through the trees.

The two held their breaths, watching the group reveal themselves close to a block away, emerging from the growth of trees. Victoire quirked a brow, finding Rose, an elf, as well as 2 teenagers who she recognized as the Minister of Magic's daughter as well as Laurel, Rose's best friend. In between them was a teenager sporting jet-black hair and a slightly weakened gait as she carefully walked along a particularly rocky path. Victoire's never met her before... for sure.

She looked oddly familiar though.

Victoire looked back at her Maman, slightly surprised to find her mother seeming to hold back tears, with eyes intent on watching the teenager she didn't recognize. Victoire looked back at the teen. _What?_ She **furrowed her brows.

"Maman, who's that?"

"It's Lia," Fleur whispered. It was more of a whisper to herself than a reply. Victoire looked back to the group, her eyes fixed on... Lia? As if the teenager was some sort of trick of the light, like Fleur couldn't believe she was there. As if she could disappear at any moment if she tore her eyes away.

"It's Lia!" Fleur exclaimed a bit louder, her voice slightly trembling as she covered her mouth in shock. Victoire looked back and forth between Lia and Fleur. _She's... giving that look— the look she gives me when I haven't seen her in a long time._

"Lia Evernight? Why is she with them? And you know her?" Victoire asked genuinely, watching the group wander through the trees and look for the entrance. Victoire rolled her eyes, allowing her voice to echo through the forest.

"Rose! Laurel!" She shouted, waving her hand up. The pair of Gryffindors snapper their heads in the direction of Victoire's voice. "The entrance is here!"

The entire group turned to the entrance. They all looked back at Hermione, Fleur, and Victoire with surprised eyes. As soon as the group registered their presence, Rose held her breath. Then, she quickly ran past the group, getting to the entrance in a matter of seconds, and catching Hermione in a tight embrace. Hermione hummed, rubbing soothing circles into Rose's back as she sobbed into her mother's chest. Fleur gave Hermione a knowing look, smiling.

Before Victoire could even open her mouth, Rose pulled her head back, looking left and right and realizing that she had run alone. She hastily wiped her tears, turning fully back to the three left behind.

Laurel was walking slowly, already a few paces from the group. Wendy, looking as if about to shit herself, was halfway to the group. However, she stopped in her tracks, looking back to Lia who stood frozen, Shirley beside her and tugging her forward.

Lia seemed to not notice; she hadn't moved a single step.

Rose shouted, her voice slightly hoarse. "Earth to Lia!"

Lia jolted in surprise. That seemed to shake her out of her daze Seeing the group by the entrance had close to killed her brain into shutdown. Whether it be from irrational nervousness or pure excitement, she didn't know.

She wasn't quite sure of what she was expecting from this encounter.

She took a step forward, then another. Lia's eyes immediately latched onto the figure she recognized as Fleur, then to Hermione. She took in a deep breath, unconsciously finding something to hold onto. Anything to ground her. She found Shirley's hand.

Lia worriedly met the elf's twinkling eyes. filled with an unexplainably sentimental joy, her smile serene and wide.

"Miss Lia, let's go home."

Fleur stepped past the entrance, quickly taking Hermione's hand in her own. In turn, Rose stepped aside, taking Victoire's arm and pulling her to follow behind the two women as they walked to Lia.

Sensing Victoire's confusion. Rose looked back to Victoire then tilted her head. "You don't know, do you?"

"No, I don't know!" Victoire exasperatedly said, grunting. "What on earth is going on?"

"We escaped Hogwarts. You see, Lia's..." She trailed off, watching the discussed Slytherin stare at her parents as more tears roll down her face. She didn't bother wiping them away anymore, her face scrunching as she let out a cry that was midway between a laugh and a sob.

Rose pursed her lips. "Actually, I'd rather have you just watch. I'd like to see 2 veela messes today."

Victoire snapped her head. "She's a veela?" She forgets herself for a moment, looking back at Lia with an odd sense of familiarity. Then in a moment of clarity, she nodded slowly. "That... that's a surprise."

There's a pause.

"Not the biggest one," Rose muttered under her breath. Victoire didn't seem to catch that, giving the redhead her most perplexed look yet.

Rose resolutely held back another amused smile.

Lia hadn't even realized that her eyes had started watering, startled as she felt tears roll down her cheeks. She hastily wiped them off with her thumb, grunting. Lia stepped forward again, each step light and short. Then she felt Shirley release her hand. She worriedly looked back to the elf, then calmed upon finding a gently smiling elf. Shirley nodded, putting her hands up.

"Go, Miss Lia," she said, crooning her neck in the forward direction. "They're waiting."

Lia bit her lip, looking back at her approaching parents. She took a step, then another. Then soon, her slow walk went faster, turning into a run, then a sprint. Her legs pushed and ran even faster— she didn't know she had this leftover energy considering her state— upon seeing Fleur and Hermione's wide smiles, not caring about tripping on a few loose branches on the forest floor.

"Mum! Maman!" She sobbed out, her thoughts drifting to old memories from many years ago.

_"I'm sure I wasn't wanted, Mum," Lia croaked out, curled up and hugging her knees in the corner of her room. Minerva knelt down and gave the best smile she could muster. It was one of those days when Lia was unconsciously reminded of her parents, usually by a little thing. Like a familiar tune. Or the flapping of wings. Or a burning smell. A story about a family._

_"I'm sure your parents loved you, Lia," Minerva said, dropping her voice low as the child whimpered and sobbed. Minerva stroked her hair, jet-black like the night. Decidedly like her name. "Who wouldn't want you? A bright, curious and beautiful little girl with a heart of gold."_

_"Then why did they leave me, Mum?" She choked out. Minerva sighed, pulling Lia into an embrace. She had learned after the third try that Lia was beyond reasoning. After much consoling, the headmistress left the room, leaving a Lia with dried-out tears staring out her window. The moon shone especially bright tonight, the clouds moving past like temporary blocks as their shadows played on Lia's blank face._

_"Hey Mom," Lia said aloud, sighing as she looked out the window. The room was devoid except for her. "Did you really love me?"_

She felt herself go physically weak, but her veela urged her on. The result was a few more trips as she limped forward, never waning in speed. She couldn't deny the irrational fears that threatened to overtake her mind— fear that she would be rejected even in this encounter.

That maybe her parents really didn't want her.

_"Hey Mom, if I met you again, would you call my name?"_

"Lia!" Fleur sobbed out, calling out as she sprinted faster. Lia tried to speak, unable to control the words that slipped past her lips. She blurted them out, almost as if she had been holding back for a long time.

"Mum... Maman!" She croaked out, walking forward.

_"Hey Mom, would your embrace feel like home?"_

Fleur let go of Hermione's hand, walking faster and matching Lia's speed. Laughing, she opened her arms, the teenager giving one last push as she close to jumped into Fleur's arms.

 _Warm,_ she thought, _Maman feels warm_.

Lia felt her body give out in Fleur's strong embrace, her chest wracking in sobs as she buried her neck into Fleur's chest. She felt Fleur sob against her, her hold tightening as she was reluctant to let go. Lia felt a gentle kiss in her hair. Fleur stroked the girl's hair fondly, biting her lip then chuckling as she herself held back a sob.

_"Hey Mom, the books say mothers smell like home. Is it true?"_

_Parchment, freshly bloomed flowers, a passing sea breeze,_ Lia thought, breathing in and soaking Fleur's dress in tears. A part of Fleur's dress went from pale yellow to a more mustard shade. She had half expected to be reprimanded, irrational fears overtaking her— maybe be called disgusting or politely be pushed away in an attempt to distance themselves.

But Fleur didn't.

Instead, she felt Fleur's arms hold her tighter, as if unable to extract herself from her daughter. As if she welcomed every tear and sob Lia wracked out of her body. Like she had accepted every part of Lia. Like she would never let go.

Lia registered another hand on her shoulder, equally matching in Fleur's warmth. She didn't have to look up to see who it was.

_"Hey Mom, would I know you were my mother if I saw you?"_

But Lia did anyway. She held her face back, seeing both Fleur and Hermione's faces look back at her in complete wonder and adoration. Fleur's eyes were red now, sniffling as she smiled back. Hermione had her own tears in her eyes, struggling to reign them in.

After all, parents couldn't _both_ be an ugly crying mess. And considering Fleur already took one spot, Hermione didn't have much say in the matter.

Fleur cupped Lia's cheek, smiling as a stray tear fell from her eyes— the very same blue eyes. _Lia's_ blue eyes. _Maman._ She looked to Hermione, wiping away her own tears as she took Lia's hand in her own. _Mum._

Fleur looked up, attempting to keep herself from crying. Lia laughed, watching Fleur flail and whimper as more tears spilled from her eyes.

_"Hey Mom, would you hold me in your arms if I cried?"_

"Maman, stop crying," she choked out, wiping away a few of Fleur's tears as her mother laughed. Hermione joined her. Their laughs joined like segments of a melody, bringing a newfound tune that brought Lia's spirits even higher.

"Look at yourself first, Lia," Fleur replied, pouting as she continued to wipe a few of Lia's tears away. She looked Lia up and down. Fleur's eyes brightened, grinning as she whispered. "You've grown up well, Lia. And you're so beautiful— more beautiful in person," she whispered, stroking Lia's cheeks and tracing her lips. Then with a cheeky expression, she continued. "Well of course, what did I expect? I am your Maman after all."

"Oh, but she has my hair though," Hermione interrupted from the side, standing nearer as she found that she and Lia were about the same height. Lia trailing behind by a mere few centimeters. "So you've got the Granger genes as well."

"Ah, but her hair is black now, non?" Fleur remarked, finger-combing Lia's jet-black hair. She looked at Lia with a knowing gaze. "It used to be brown. Just like your mother's lion mane."

Hermione gave Fleur a questioning look, a single brow up as she tilted her head. "Mane? Really now, Fleur?"

Lia looked to Hermione, extracting herself from her Maman's tight embrace. Fleur watched with a smile as Lia struggled to find the words to say. Before she could even open her mouth though, Hermione quickly enveloped in a hug, one Lia noted was much gentler than Fleur's protective embrace. If Fleur held her like something she'd never want to lose— something irreplaceable and something she would be unable to let go of, Hermione's held her like she was a fragile treasure. Like she was treasured in every way. Either way, she felt a genuine love swirl within her, if that was even possible.

Lia sobbed again, unable to cope with these new feelings that overcame her like rushes and bursts. She had never felt happier, settling into the embrace and burying her face as she held onto Hermione.

_"Hey Mom, would I know you were my mother if I met you?"_

"You're—" Lia cleared her throat, pulling back and fumbling for something in her pockets. Hermione chuckled as Lia cursed under her breath about the difficulties of muggle clothing, looking to Fleur with a knowing look. The blonde rolled her eyes, taking Lia's arm as their daughter took out a Chocolate Frog card. She held it up for the pair to see. Hermione raised her brows in slight surprise. On the card was a photo of herself.

"Ro—Rose told me a lot about you," she stammered out, sobs interrupting her phrases as she chuckled nervously. Fleur slightly pouted upon hearing this, raising a brow.

"Why are you so nervous with 'Ermione, hmm?" She asked lightly, wiping a few of Lia's tears and fixing her hair. "But not with me?"

_"Hey Mom, did we laugh a lot?"_

Lia blushed slightly. Fleur laughed, elegantly and softly like chimes surrendering to the breeze, reaching Lia's ears. She heard Hermione chuckle amusedly, laced with a hum of amusement. Lighter and more unrestrained like bursts of joy. _The answer's a definite yes_ , Lia thought to herself.

"You're starstruck, non?" Fleur asked.

Lia shrugged. "I can't help it," she muttered, averting her gaze shyly. "I grew up thinking she was some untouchable hero. The headmistress' stories didn't help."

Fleur hummed, bringing her chin up as she spoke with an air of arrogance. "Well, I'll have you know that _I_ was your favorite parent in the past reality. I am much better than your boring Mum— much more interesting as the powerful veela I am. If you could only remember the things we did, you wouldn't even have to think about which of us was better, Lia," Fleur cheekily said, bringing her to herself and wrapping an arm around her. Hermione incredulously watched Fleur look at her with a smug expression, flipping her hair as Lia chuckled.

_"Hey Mom, were our days warm? Did you regret any of them?"_

Hermione rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Don't listen to Fleur, Lia. We would read all day long by the couch, and I'd teach you about all the peculiar things you were curious about— fireflies, charms, muggle things, and all."

Lia blinked. She spoke softly. "You remember, Mum? Everything?"

Hermione nodded, laughing even more as Lia covered her mouth in shock.

"Yes, Lia, and every day was a day I'd want to relive all over again," Hermione whispered back, tucking a few strands of Lia's hair behind her ear. "But I'm still holding up our bargain about making new memories." She kissed Lia's forehead and brought their noses together. Lia jumped slightly at the action, unused to the physical touch. But she quickly decided that she liked it.

She liked, no, _adored_ everything about Fleur and Hermione. She couldn't quite believe her luck. _Mum and Maman_ , she repeated.

Fleur let out a sound of retort, pulling Lia closer. It seemed she hadn't listened at all to the past few sentiments, her voice taking on a more competitive edge. "Yes, yes muggle things, charms, fireflies! Well, at least I can cook! Lia, I cooked your meals and carried you on my back through the veela lands!"

Lia looked back at Fleur with a quirked brow. Fleur huffed.

"Non, non! You don't remember, so you can't decide," she brought an elegant hand to her chin, then with a thought, sported a mischievous smile. "I'll help you with that."

Lia felt Fleur's arms release her. Then without warning, her arms were dragged around Fleur once again, this time feeling herself against Fleur's back. Suddenly, she felt hoisted upon the blonde's back.

"Maman!" She screamed in the highest pitch her voice could take, Hermione watching as peals of laughter escaped her lips. "Maman put me down! I'm not 2 anymore— I'm bloody 17!"

Fleur laughed merrily, then pulled Lia's arms tighter around her.

"See, I can still carry you after all these years!" She exclaimed, leaning forward. Lia's eyes flew open as she realized that her Maman was preparing to take off.

_"Hey Mom, can we bring back those days?"_

She watched Laurel and Wendy watch on the side, slightly horrified from Fleur's drastic actions. She watched Rose try calming down a flabbergasted Victoire on the side, the epitome of a panicked and bumbling mess. Victoire, with widened eyes, watched an equally panicked Lia flail as she was carried on Fleur's back, the blonde laughing as she ran back to the entrance without so much as a care.

Hermione forgot herself, her head snapping back and forth to the balancing Lia and the rest of the confused teenagers. She decidedly turned to the leaving pair, her voice echoing in one of the loudest voices Rose has ever heard.

Panicked and afraid. Yet with undercurrents of joy.

"Put— put down our daughter, Fleur! I- It's too dangerous!"

Fleur didn't seem to hear, already reaching the entrance. Hermione quickly ran after the pair, spelling either side of Lia so that she wouldn't fall. She muttered of Lia's injuries and Fleur's idiotic actions, but her words seemed not to match her expression— one of utter happiness that Rose hadn't seen in years. Rose felt her heart warm, smiling as Hermione ran after Fleur and Lia. The brunette called back to the group as she ran into the entrance.

"Victoire, take care of them, please! I have to calm your mother down!"

Before she could retort, Hermione had already disappeared. Victoire blankly looked back at the rest of the group. Victoire looked to each of the teenagers in turn, sighing deeply as she turned to a snickering Rose.

"Let me guess," she said sarcastically, facepalming, "aside from having another sister from a different reality, the sky's going to fall, Albus is the new Minister of Magic, Teddy's a merman, and Rose is a veela!"

A slight pause.

Laurel and Rose looked at one another hesitantly. Laurel snorted. Then Rose guffawed. They soon burst into peals of laughter with tears in their eyes. Shirley looked at the group in confusion while Wendy put her face in her hands, masking a slight chuckle. Victoire furrowed her brows in frustration, then with a disgruntled huff, decidedly threw all her neatly compiled files up into the air like a madman, not caring about their messy scattering about the grass.

"What?!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> xDDDD I hope this chapter was alright :"" things are about to get temporarily happier in the next few chapters (at least for the next few chapters ://) while I get busier because class is going to start soon T_________T
> 
> see ya guys and have a good week ! *shuffles back into working and insert 3 paragraphs worth of keyboard smashing*


	36. A Bigger Home

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 99% fluff

It was half an hour of _pure_ shouting after a flying Fleur with a petrified-turned-overjoyed Lia on her back.

Hermione's echoing voice caught the attention of many bystander veela loitering around the land, watching the odd combination of the Brightest Witch of Her Age chase after the Delacour Heiress with a brightly laughing unknown teenager through the open fields. Hermione had finally convinced the mother-daughter pair to come down from the skies once Fleur started to tire, her wings flapping less powerfully judging from the gusts turned weak flaps of wind around her. Fleur smiled as Lia tightened her hold on her back.

"Do not be frightened, Lia," Fleur whispered. She wasn't quite sure if her daughter would hear her words against the wind spattering across their faces. "I won't let you go. I promise."

It seemed to do the job, as her daughter's hold loosened slightly. Once softly touching down onto soft grass, Fleur and Lia, arm in arm as their raucous laughter surrounded them, walked to an obviously exhausted Hermione, her hair more out of sorts as she sported a pointed look. Lia smiled apologetically while Fleur grinned at the slightly annoyed Gryffindor.

"Fleur," Hermione began with crossed arms. Fleur could vaguely feel the thrumming of Hermione's veela upon her skin— a mix of slight annoyance, satisfaction, and joy.

Fleur took that as a victory.

"You said you wouldn't try to kill our daughter," Hermione huffed out.

"And I didn't," Fleur said, her grin growing wider as she pulled Lia closer. Looking behind Hermione and finding nobody there, she raised a brow. "Where are the others?"

"We're here!" Victoire's voice shouted from afar. The group turned to the field before them, spotting the familiar group nearby, slightly hidden under the thick shadows of a row of trees.

The others made their way through the veela lands, with all the teenagers gawking and pointing at the quaint houses, the flying veela, and sprawling plants. At the front was a Victoire, obviously pale and with widened eyes. However, Fleur squinted a bit, noticing a burning determination in her eldest's eyes.

And maybe a hint of excitement.

Fleur had thought the sight was familiar, like when Victoire was determined to get her first job at the Ministry (and got it after flooding the Ministry with countless letters of recommendation even if only one was required), or when she tried to fly for the first time (she got it after 2 days of endless trying, even ignoring meals such that Fleur had to force-feed her) or when she was waiting for her Head Girl letter (which she also got after much begging and blatant working in front of professors in the previous years).

Her daughter, although the epitome of elegance and beauty to most, she knew more as a silent hard worker. Unlike her raucous and rowdy siblings, she played the more responsible eldest daughter who defied every expectation in the best possible way.

She didn't expect this feature of her eldest to surface now out of all times though. What could she possibly work for now? What was she so determined to do?

She snapped out of her thoughts upon hearing her niece's sharp bickering with the other teenagers, the group finally reaching Hermione, Fleur, and Lia. Upon spotting Wendy, she felt herself boil in anger. She took a step forward, about to open her mouth when she felt a firm grasp on her arm.

Fleur winced, breathing to calm herself as Hermione placed soothing motions on her back. She turned her attentions elsewhere, slightly surprised upon finding Victoire immediately step forward, right in front of a Lia who likewise stood to attention.

Before Lia could even raise her hand in extension a hand, Victoire kissed both of Lia's cheeks in turn then offered a warm smile.

"Pleased to meet you, Lia. I'm Victoire," the blonde said, smiling then turning her head to her Maman, her smile turning 180 degrees into an annoyed scowl. Fleur rose her brows slightly, then crossed her arms. Victoire scoffed. "Maman here didn't even bother to introduce us— just went and flew away with you."

Fleur rolled her eyes. Then continued to watch curiously.

Lia grinned. "It's fantastic to finally meet you." She looked to Victoire, her eyes drifting to Hermione, Fleur, and Rose behind and beside the other, watching with warm smiles of their own. Lia's smile grew softer, her words flowing out before she could think.

"I've never really remembered having a proper family— siblings and all. I have to get used to having such a big one at that."

" _Oh?_ " Victoire quirked a brow. "The family will be much messier with the others. A pity that Dominique and Louis couldn't be here." With a thought, she added, looking at Rose beside her. "Hugo, too."

She pursed her lips.

"I'll be honest... that this was the last thing I expected. Having another sibling I mean," Victoire added. She fidgeted slightly, playing with her nails and rolling up her files. Lia chuckled nervously, not knowing how to take that. Victoire smiled. "But I think you're one wonderful surprise. I'm genuinely really excited to get to know you more, and I want to be the best older sister you could rely on." She held Lia's hands in hers, the younger part-veela slightly startled as she looked back at a partly enlivened Victoire with wide-eyes. "I can teach you more about the veela."

Fleur tilted her head, coming closer and interrupting. "Victoire, that is greatly appreciated, but I'll be teaching her."

Victoire scrunched her nose. Then she shook her head. "No, I want to."Victoire turned to Fleur. "Please, Maman. You taught me well, and you can guide us... but I want to do this." She looked at Rose beside her again, pursing her lips. "I can teach Rose too."

She watched Fleur give her a hesitant look. Like she didn't _really_ know what she was doing. Victoire rolled her eyes.

"Sister bonding time," she deadpanned.

Fleur let slip a loud laugh, then covered her mouth. _Ah,_ she thought, looking back at Victoire's determined eyes, _so that's what it was_. She nodded, smiling.

"Fine. Sister bonding time."

* * *

"I can't believe we're going up using—"

Rose was cut short by the sudden throw of her body up into the air, as if about to be sent off; she chanted the fact that she was actually held in place by a few flimsy and loose and unpredictable branches around her waist.

Soon, she had reached the top of the tree, joining the rest of the group who watched her flail, only stopping once her feet finally connected to stable ground. Her wobbly footing earned a few smiles from the group, to which Rose met with a slight scowl. She had not noticed she had missed a step, then her foot got stuck into a few loose curved branches. She attempted to pull her feet back with a huff. Once, then twice. In irritation at her inability to complete the task, she heaved and pulled with a burst of energy, effectively removing her foot from the crevice. Unfortunately, she felt her body pull back into the empty space behind her. Rose's face morphed into utter horror, knowing that she was at the edge of the blasted tree.

"Bloody—"

Slow-motion. Everything went in slow motion. It felt like everything was passing by in half its speed, yet the thumping of the blood against her ears increased exponentially.

She vaguely heard herself scream, along with the rushed steps and panicked voices of her friends and mother, yet they were muted by the sudden rush of wind going against her falling ears.

She felt her fingers brush a hand momentarily, only to scrape by and leave just as fast. Her upper body turned 180 degrees, the blood rushing to her ears as she felt her feet completely leave the ground. Her arms went everywhere, in a helpless attempt to catch something— anything.

She caught something. Or really, she felt something catch her firmly by the arm. Just as Rose felt herself plummet downwards, she suddenly felt herself thrown back up in a desperate heave. As she went back up, she met Wendy's petrified eyes look back at her, except while Rose flew up, Wendy plummeted down.

Rose felt her blood grow ice-cold.

"Wendy, what—" Rose got the wind knocked out of her as she felt her body fall above rough branches, watching in horror as the last trace of Wendy's hair disappeared down beneath. Rose quickly scampered to the edge, screaming as she watched Wendy plummet. "Wendy!"

Rose felt her heart sink into this neverending abyss. For some odd reason she couldn't fathom, it felt like she herself was plummeting, not Wendy.

It felt even worse than she herself falling.

It felt like she was going to die. Except it would be a death a thousand times more painful.

A rush of wind on her left. A leap. Then the rushed flapping of wings.

Rose watched Lia dive down, her wings sprouting out of her back as she extended her arms to a flailing Wendy. The ground neared them at a quick rate, and Wendy had shut her eyes in fear of what was to come, not noticing Lia close in on her. Lia grabbed Wendy with an arm, then another. The frightened Slytherin opened her eyes to the loud flapping of her wings beside her, along with the feeling of being carried up, her weight not as heavy as before. The pair's descent abruptly slowed, their feet softly touching the grass as they safely touched down.

As Lia's wings folded back and disappeared, Wendy let out the breath she was holding, falling to her knees as she nodded shakily. Lia dusted herself off, crouching down to check on her petrified friend.

Wendy looked to Lia, nodding her head in gratification.

"Thanks. Really."

"Don't mention it." She paused. "Maman was ready to jump for you. I didn't think you'd appreciate being killed by your savior."

Wendy winced. She shook her head. "Gods, I think I actually pissed myself."

"From the fall or the thought of Maman?"

"Both."

Lia chuckled, extending her hand to the other. Wendy hesitated, then took it. The two could distinctly hear the calls of their friends from above the tree, and they turned to the waving bunch, Lia smiling at an obviously relieved Rose. She turned back to Wendy, suddenly snickering. Wendy quirked a brow in confusion, earning a louder laugh from the part-veela, seeming to be amused at Wendy's ignorance to the typhoon-ravaged state of her hair, as if blown into every direction.

"Come on," Lia said, pulling Wendy to a nearby branch and securing her best-friend-turned enemy-turned-blank into its hold. Wendy's eyes widened as Lia left to secure herself in a nearby branch.

"Lia?"

The part-veela noticing her friend's worried expression. It seemed Wendy wasn't as ecstatic to go up the tree anymore, her eyes petrified. Lia ruminated on this, then sighed, unraveling the branches around her and motioning for Wendy to scoot aside. She took the spot beside her, affixing the branches on her torso.

"Fine." She held Wendy's hand. "We'll go together."

* * *

They were now around the extremely small space of the living room. Wendy, Rose, Laurel, and Lia squeezed into the couch, with Victoire standing by the entrance to the kitchen, and Fleur and Hermione leaning against the wall in front of the couch. Shirley was seated on the floor, hugging Lia's leg. Hermione had just returned from sending a letter to Hogwarts, asking for Minerva to care for her and Fleur's other children who remained there.

Fleur's deadly gaze was fixed on the poor Slytherin sandwiched between Laurel and Lia, with Rose on Lia's left. It seemed like the only thing stopping Fleur from unleashing her full-on fury was her mate's tight grasp on her shoulder— as if their disconnect would free the chains holding Fleur down.

Victoire emerged from the kitchen, handing out drinks to the tired teenagers. Laurel immediately gulped down her tea like water, sighing as she leaned her head back. Lia sipped a bit, brightening slightly at the unfamiliar yet fruity taste.

Rose and Wendy left their tea out in the cold, staring blankly in front of them.

Noticing the angry waves emanating from her mother, Victoire leaned into Lia, dropped her voice to a whisper.

"Why does Maman seem so angry with Wendy?" Victoire whispered.

Wendy winced from beside Lia, as if she felt the ground about to swallow her whole. Squirming from how little space she had to move, Lia put down her tea and stood up, pacing to the other side of the room and beckoning Victoire to follow. The redhead felt vulnerable with the space left in between herself and Wendy. Lia served as her barrier, if only to save the little sanity she had left in dealing with Wendy.

Rose desperately needed a few moments to think. It felt like the past two days have been the most stressful turning points in her relationship with Wendy. This morning, she had thought she would get to a resolution as to how she would at least _face the blonde_ , but her Gryffindor courage seemed to fizz out the moment she knocked on their door, her eyes immediately snapping to the side when she heard the unclicking of the door as it opened. Luckily, it was Laurel who opened the door, yet slightly hidden by the door was a ghastly Wendy who didn't seem to have slept a wink.

For the rest of the journey, neither of the two spoke to the other, with one always trailing behind with either Lia or Laurel. A palpable silence seemed to block them the entire way. A few not-so-subtle glances were thrown during parts of their journey, but no sort of interaction pushed for even a word exchanged.

The earlier fall from the tree had shocked Rose to her core. And it was at the moment when Wendy was about to hit the ground that she felt her soul leave her.

It was at that moment that she knew that Lia was right. Wendy was her mate.

But what on earth was she to do with it?

Rose watched as Lia whispered to Victoire in hushed tones, the older part-veela's brows raising as she looked to Wendy, the Slytherin sipping on her tea, with a hint of disdain. With a quick flick of her wand, Victoire spelled Wendy's tea into a spicy drink, which Wendy quickly put down after sipping, acting as if her tongue was on fire.

"Victoire!" Lia exclaimed, turning to Victoire with a questioning look. Her older sister scoffed.

"What? I wanted to spell her hair on fire! She's lucky it's just the drink."

Hermione's brows shot up, giving Victoire a pointed look then immediately spelling Wendy's drink into milk. Wendy gratefully chugged it down. It seemed that the momentary distraction was enough time for Fleur to be free of Hermione's grasp.

Wendy heard a few steps come closer. When she looked up, she directly met a stern Fleur's gaze, the older blonde ensuring that their eyes were leveled. "Mademoiselle Griffiths," she seethed out. Wendy choked on her milk, definitely _not_ mentally prepared for what was to come. "Do you know how dangerous what you did was? You fools think veela suppressor is a joke?!" She spat out her words like venomous curses. Lia was close to interrupting, feeling the couch shake as Wendy's breaths grew faster. "I was thinking of other things— worse things to do with you—because you close to killed my daughter!" Another tremble. Lia began to open her mouth, then stopped midway; Fleur paused.

Fleur shakily drew out a breath, trying to calm herself.

"But..." Fleur's caught an intently-watching Rose in the corner of her eye. She spoke slowly, as if confirming it herself, and as if she couldn't believe herself what she was saying.

"You also dived to save my other daughter... without a moment's hesitation."

Once the words slipped out of Fleur's lips, Wendy's eyes widened. Then she softly released a sigh of relief, a slight blush gracing her features.

Everyone else looked to Fleur in surprise, fully expecting a shoutfest from the angry mother.

Rose looked extra surprise, but couldn't hide a smile at being referred to as Fleur's daughter. She warmed at the thought, meeting Victoire's eyes as the latter smiled back.

Fleur couldn't quite see Hermione's face from her position. But if she could, she would have seen the softest and most adoring look on her mate, hinted with dashes of surprise and disbelief. Her eyes were wide open, along with her mouth, as she repeated Fleur's statement over and over again in her head. After the third replay, Hermione's lips pulled back into a wider smile, then she suppressed a grin as a deep chuckle resounded at the back of her throat.

"I also made a promise to Hermione not to be too harsh on you... And she's right." Fleur chanced a glance at the brunette behind her, pursing her lips as she kept silent for a bit. Hermione nodded her head, pushing her on. "I had time to think and cool off before you all arrived. And I realized a lot of things."

"I know fully well how irrational we can be when we think we're left with no other options." She blew out a breath, her shoulders sagging slightly as she turned back to Wendy. "I of all people should know how difficult and heavy the burden can be when you have nowhere else to turn to. That's why I can't blame you."

Fleur breathed in again, containing her still-bubbling anger. She could feel Hermione's veela helping to hold her down quietly. She felt as if she were in Hermione's arms, being soothed and comforted. Soon, she felt Hermione's presence beside her, arm around her own back. She felt Hermione watch her softly as she spoke much calmer than moments ago.

"But now you aren't alone, Wendy. We can figure this out together." Fleur pursed her lips, seeming to consider a thought. She smiled bitterly, a smile that, Hermione thought, seemed to be reminiscent of many lifetimes, as if Fleur relived every moment she could grasp in her mind.

"A word of advice," she said seriously.

"You may disagree with me as my notions may be more selfish than selfless." Fleur bit her lip, feeling Hermione's fingers intertwine with hers. "If there's one thing I learned from my many many lifetimes... it's that you have to fight for what _you_ want— whether it be what _you_ care for or who _you_ love." Wendy's eyes trailed to her left, inevitably finding Rose who right stared back at her. The two fought blushes from rising. "The world may say what they want from you, but ultimately, your life, your fate, and your future are dependent on your choices. Everything is up to you to decide, not the world's."

"A peaceful world where you alone live in utter despair..." Fleur chuckled bitterly. She felt Hermione clutch her hand tighter.

"Heaven will only be a mirage. Live in it, and you'll find it's the worst kind of hell."

* * *

While Hermione calmed Wendy down and talked about the Slytherin's mother, the rest of the group went into a mini-discussion, mostly to keep Victoire up to par with the rest of everyone's knowledge. By the end of the discussion, Victoire only seemed more resolute, talking to Lia about what she could do to help.

The blonde left her daughters to talk, looking around the quaint house, sighing. It was _definitely_ not going to fit everyone. Hermione seemed to be thinking the same, her brow furrowing.

"We're not going to all fit here. It's much too small for us," Fleur remarked, turning to the teenagers who remained on the couch then to Victoire who leaned on the wall talking to them. Fleur pursed her lips as Victoire frowned, sensing her mother about to speak. "Victoire—"

"No," Victoire interrupted, stalking behind Lia and Rose and putting her arms around them. She hardened her look. "I'm not leaving. You can't make me. I'm staying here with the rest of you."

Fleur raised a brow. "I wasn't going to ask you to do so. As much as possible, I want all of you here where we can see you. After all, you're all related to the prophecy, except Wendy who's still very much important could be target considering her being Rose's mate and the Minister's daughter. Also, your Grandmaman's going to be receiving a lot of visitors—including right now— since she's helping out with the Turnover in a few weeks, so it would be difficult to hide there."

She sighed. "Anyway, I was going to ask you to stay back from the walls, but seeing as you've already done so..."

Fleur and Hermione walked to a nearby wall, placing their hands on the house's branches. With a single look from Hermione, Fleur nodded. The two closed their eyes, much to the confusion of the rest of the group, save for Victoire who seemed to realize what was going on. They raptly watched the pair funnel their magic into the branches, silvery wisps seeming to emanate from their hands and fuse with the walls.

Soon, the house, or really the tree, started to shake. In surprise, Wendy put her feet up. Rose firmly held on to the side of the couch. The branches making up the floor and walls started to extend and morph and collide, extending the room to become larger, with the doors and walls of the room backing off to make for more space. Two new doorways formed on the other side of the room, with branches extending into the open sky then enclosing, two new rooms forming.

After a few more moments, the branches slowed their movements, the sounds of clasping and affixing resounding throughout the house. Eventually, the branches stopped moving entirely, and the teens looked around to find the house completely transformed. The living room and dining area were much more spacious, with one much larger than the other, for the new tenants.

"Help us duplicate and move around the furniture," Hermione said, facing the teens who immediately stood up. The group dispersed to duplicate the beds, levitating them to their respective rooms. Fleur went to extending the dining table and adding a few more chairs.

Then Fleur walked out the dining room, turning to Hermione beside her, joined by an appearing and disappearing Shirley who gave Hermione different flowers. The brunette smiled to herself, pleased with the arranged bouquet she placed on the table.

"That is the same arrangement like the one in your apartment, non?"

Hermione turned to Fleur, chuckling as she nodded. "Yes, the same arrangement as Rose's Never-ending wilts," she remarked, feel an arm wrap around her. "The bouquet's vastly different from what we had in our old home with Lia, though."

"Definitely, we used to only have golden daffodils, hmm?" She remarked, noting the added red roses and white dahlias. The pair's ears perked up to the sound of laughter from a distant room. She turned to find a burst of laughter from the larger room, then felt her heart warm at the scene of Lia and Rose laughing at Victoire, disgusted from holding up a dirty rag.

"I could get used to it," Hermione whispered, cupping Fleur's cheek and kissing her deeply, not caring about the disgusted noises coming from their daughters' room.

* * *

After many hours of fixing the house, the group, upon realizing that they had completely missed lunch due to their fixing the house, decided on an early dinner.

Rose, Lia, and Fleur went to pick a few fruits and vegetables from the nearby garden, arriving back as they emerged in the living room. Victoire and Hermione (well, mostly Victoire) had taken to cooking some of Victoire's dishes, including Boeuf Bourguignon and potatoes with cheese, garlic, and thyme. Laurel and Wendy, along with Shirley's help set the table, with Wendy adding elegant touches to the arrangements, arranging the utensils neatly. Then, Laurel watched raptly as the blonde folded the napkins into mesmerizing flowers. Pleased with her work, Wendy smiled.

"Who taught you how to do that?" Laurel curiously asked. She picked up a napkin, mouthing 'fancy' under her breath as she looked at its intricacies.

Wendy shrugged. "Nobody. I learned how to do them myself because I was bored at home. Nothing special."

"They look a lot like roses." Laurel held the napkin up to the light. "Am I right?"

The faint blush on Wendy's cheeks was answer enough.

Dinner had been a fun affair. Fleur insisted on leaving the long and proper discussing and thinking to tomorrow, after everyone had properly settled in and rested. The group couldn't meet Apolline either, the matriarch busy with preparations for the Turnover with Eve and the rest of the elders. Through a few exchanges of letters, Fleur had also found out that Eve had found a substitute, one of Fleur's good friends from Beauxbatons.

"It's Eloise," she remarked, waving the letter and beaming. Hermione quirked a brow, to which Fleur smiled. "She was a year above me at Beauxbatons. She'll be a wonderful successor."

The table was quite rowdy, with Laurel eating the extra meat off of Rose's plate while Rose argued about the use of a certain charm with Lia. Victoire would interrupt between thoughts, injecting her own opinions by taking on a veela perspective. Soon, the three had launched into a full-on debate, arguments thrown back and forth like a rally as Lia had eventually stood up to look for a few books from the nearby shelf, then coming back to a laughing table as she pouted, empty-handed. From across the table, Wendy subtly motioned to catch Laurel's attention, pointing for the latter to wipe Rose's cheek that had flecks of stew. Unfortunately, the Gryffindor was too busy scrumping down on her extra servings, all while talking to Fleur who talked about Laurel's parents.

"Can I go meet Mariana then?" Laurel asked, wiping her mouth.

Hermione and Fleur shared an unsure look. "We'll think about it. If it's a good idea, then sure," Hermione said, looking behind Laurel and waving her hand to summon another serving of juice from the kitchen, noticing Rose choke on her words with no drink in hand. Hermione facepalmed, never having seen her daughter so competitive at the dinner table. For one, dinners at the Granger-Weasley residence were quieter than this, save for Ron's rambles. Second, there weren't really others to match Rose's quick arguments, others like Lia, who struck Rose's arguments down with nicks in her armor of arguments, and Victoire, who plucked out every opposing detail from her books.

Fleur, on the other hand, had never seen Victoire so.... well, _loud._ The _e_ pitome of grace completely gone, Fleur chuckled to herself as she watched Victoire debate like a madman. Like Rose, Victoire didn't have many to match her at home, with Dominique and Louis being more into sports and actively running around the place. Victoire had initially been loud, rambling as a child about everything she could get her hands on. This, however, quickly diminished with age, upon realizing that there was hardly anyone back at home who could match her energy, at least aside from her Maman.

Fleur and Hermione had tried calming their three overly-passionate daughters down, but had given up after Victoire brought out a Wizard Encyclopedia as wide as the table. Lia had motioned with her hands, silvery trails of spell patterns appearing in the air as she illustrated the effects of the charm. Wendy hid a smile, realizing that Lia was making the air her blackboard. Lia noticed this, rolling her eyes and sticking her tongue out at an amused Wendy.

 _Professor Evernight's class session_ , Wendy mused to herself.

Meanwhile, Rose silently sulked in the corner, crossing her arms as she bit back without anything in hand. She spat out points for discussion, frowning at her lack of resources, knowing fully well that she couldn't use magic without disturbing the Trace.

Lengthy paragraphs of arguments turned into sentences, then phrases. Once they had finally... _finally_ calmed down, reaching a conclusion and putting away their books and notes in the air, Hermione sighed. Laurel clapped at the performance.

"Victoire, you're supposed to be an adult," Fleur remarked in a seemingly serious voice. But she couldn't hide the amusement laced in her tone. "I thought you wanted to be a _good_ older sister?"

Victoire winced, muttering about _actually_ being a good older sister. Lia chuckled as she waved her fork to Victoire in joking warning.

Hermione laughed. "I can't believe Lia grew up to be like you two. It goes to show that if you raise kids similarly, they'll end up the same." Fleur chuckled along with her. "Now don't go into another debate with the nature-versus-nurture dichotomy, please. I want to eat in peace for at least a few minutes."

"Oh like how I'd debate with you over how to best raise Lia?" Hermione joked. "Those left me utterly exhausted, Fleur. Let them debate if they want."

Lia smiled while her two other sisters raised their brows in confusion. They looked at each other in confusion then right as they were about to open their mouths, Hermione's eyes widened as she smacked her head in realization. She faced Fleur.

"Oh, right. We only told Lia!"

Rose and Victoire beamed upon finding out that Hermione recovered all her memories, with the brunette recounting a few in joy. The table had grown mostly silent, listening to Hermione's stories about her journey with Fleur, as well as raising Lia, including Lia's small tantrums when Fleur wouldn't carry her when her Maman flew. This earned a few chortles from her sisters, much to the part-veela's displeasure as she pouted. The stories continued for hours, with laughter and merriment filling the air. It seemed that everyone finally let loose after such a tiring journey.

Rose hummed, realizing that she had forgotten to ask something so patently obvious. With a thought and in curiosity, Rose leaned forward, facing Hermione.

"Mum, what caused you to remember everything? I thought it was close to impossible for it to happen?"

Beet red. Fleur and Hermione's faces went beet red.

Hermione and Fleur seemed to have spaced out, seeming to get lost in their own thoughts. Rose raised a brow at the silence, not noticing the two's red faces as she drank the last of her juice. Lia and Victoire then exchanged knowing mischievous looks.

"A veela bind fortified twice? Did you do some sort of ritual?" Rose mused aloud. Hermione gulped, seeming to find the outside view from the window suddenly interesting. "Wow, whatever you guys did must have been really powerful and intense to sever that. _Really_ powerful."

Hermione choked on her food, going into a coughing fit. Then, noticing Fleur in the corner of her eye, she glared at her slightly smirking mate. _Ritual my arse,_ the brunette thought, drinking a bit as she rammed her head into thinking of how to answer appropriately— to her daughters and at the dinner table at that.

Before Hermione could even come to a conclusion, Fleur spoke.

Of course, Fleur knew how to best answer— in the most _shameless_ way possible.

"Yes, yes fine!" Fleur exasperatedly said, staring back at her daughters with a straight face. "We had sex last night— hours and hours of such amazing and loud sex that it had Hermione screaming my name repeatedly, completely blowing her mind—"

"Alright I got it! I got it!" Rose stood up, stalking away from the table after hurriedly cleaning up her spot. She couldn't even look at her Mum, but it didn't really matter. Hermione's head was in her hands, utterly embarrassed as her blush reached her ears. Rose close to ran into the kitchen, desperately trying to get the images that surfaced in her head. A few seemed to have slipped past. She choked on nonexistent food.

 _Merlin, get out!_ She shouted in her mind, physically hitting her head in frustration. _OUT!_

"You have to get used to such candor, Rose," Victoire remarked in a sing-song voice. Rose decided then and there that she hated Victoire's mocking high-pitched tone. "We are veela after all." Lia hummed in approval, nonchalantly eating another scoop of potatoes.

Rose only seemed to redden further. The family heard a few utensils drop then clang to the floor in the kitchen. Rose shouted, her voice cracking.

"Too much information! Too much bloody information! Merlin, this family is going to be the death of me!"  
  


* * *

  
  
**Sneak Peek for next chapter:**

  
"Follow the bloody instructions on the box, Victoire!"

Victoire panicked then schooled her face into forced calm. "No worries. It will get better for sure. My intuition— my _older sister intuition_ says so. I've watched Dominique do this many times. Yes, it—it'll be alright."

" _My_ older sister intuition _and_ my common sense of logic say it will not, Victoire!" Rose screamed, then lowered her tone as she whirled around to the door. She blew out a sigh of relief realizing that nobody had woken up.

"Victoire?" Lia asked nervously. She turned to each of her sisters with widened eyes. The process was definitely taking much longer than she thought. "Rose?!"

Rose rolled her eyes as Victoire walked away and summoned something in her hands. Then as Victoire went back to the pair with frightened eyes, Rose sighed, watching Victoire read as if she were reading from an ancient text rather than a bloody muggle magazine.

"Merde," Victoire dropped everything from her hands. "Mum and Maman are going to _kill_ us."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Class starts next week for me! And FLEURMIONE WEEK IS COMING UP AAAAAAAAAA SO EXCITING SEEING EVERYONE'S SNEAK PEEKS IN THE DISCORD SERVERS !! sadly I haven't written anything : ( but maybe a late thing would do if I have the time? we'll see xD
> 
> Hopefully I get to write the next chapter soon because I've never been so so so busy : ( hopefully the sneak peek can make up for ~possibly~ a longer time to update. (GAH!) have any guesses as to what they're doing ? xD
> 
> Have a good week!


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